Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–I’m really glad you’re here!
Today, I’m continuing my Lenten series on Biblical foods. This week, I’ll be focusing on the spices Cinnamon and Saffron, two of my favorites.
Cinnamon is mentioned a total of four times in the Bible, including as a gift from the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon. Cinnamon has long been prized for its strong scent and would have been used in incense, as an additive to oils for anointing, for perfumes and for cooking.
There are two kinds of cinnamon: Ceylon and Cassia. Ceylon is the easier of the two to grind and has more health benefits. Cassia is known for its strong, pungent-sweet taste. Both types are delicious, but if using in larger quantities or as a supplement, Ceylon is the safer choice of the two, due to the high levels of coumarin content in Cassia cinnamon, which can be harmful if taken in large doses.
Cinnamon has been used in traditional medicines for thousands of years. It contains cinnamaldehyde, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and is being studied for its effects in preventing and treating cancer. Cinnamon is also a natural antibiotic and has been shown to prevent certain bacterias from growing. It full of polyphenols, which act as antioxidants and may help fight Alzheimer’s disease; and finally, cinnamon contains potassium, magnesium and calcium, which are all heart-healthy and may aid in lowering blood pressure.
Cinnamon is such an interesting spice–mostly used in sweet, baked goods, it is also used to give a spicy sweet kick of heat to Indian and Mediterranean foods as well as to teas.
There is some folklore built up around cinnamon: One of the more fantastic stories I ran across when doing my research was the story of the Phoenix. Legend has it that the Phoenix bird makes its nest of cinnamon sticks and when the bird dies, the cinnamon stick nest bursts into flames signifying rebirth and transformation.
In popular culture, on the TV show, Little House on the Prairie, Laura’s arch-nemesis, Nelly Oleson is trying to woo Laura’s eventual husband, Almonzo, and makes him his favorite dish: cinnamon chicken. I re-read all the “Little House” books a couple of years ago and cinnamon chicken was never mentioned in the books, but there is a recipe for Little House cinnamon chicken out there in the metaverse. It includes cider vinegar, honey and some cinnamon.
My version of cinnamon chicken is more like what you’d find in a Moroccan restaurant, and includes spices such as cumin, cayenne and ginger, as well as cinnamon–a good bit of cinnamon, which gives it that nice punchy kick of spice. This dish is SUPER fragrant when cooking–you’ll have folks in the neighborhood swooning! I’m not kidding!
It comes together very quickly and is delicious when served with focaccia bread or over couscous. Enjoy with a nice glass of zinfandel or syrah.
Join me tomorrow when I share my recipe for overnight cinnamon French toast.
Until then,
Peace, love and good food!
Keri
