Cinnarmomum zeylanicum of Ceylon comes principally from Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil and the Caribbean. It is commonly known as Ceylon Cinnamon and is the true cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is a high quality premium spice and is healthier than ordinary supermarket cinnamon.
Cinnamomum cassia is the bastard cinnamon indigenous to and cultivated primarily in China. As its name of Bastard Cinnamon implies, the product of this tree is usually regarded as a cheap substitute for the mass consumer. Cassia cinnamon is known by many names including Bastard Cinnamon, Chinese Cinnamon, Cassia lignea, Cassia Bark, Cassia aromaticum, Canton Cassia.
In the United States the FDA wrongfully allows Cassia to be sold under the label of "cinnamon" with distinction of type. The problem is that few consumers know that Cassia Cinnamon is harmful to the human body. True cinnamon is usually labeled "Ceylon cinnamon," and costs more, roughly double the price of Cassia.
Upon tasting, Ceylon cinnamon has a lighter and more refined taste than cassia. It is most suitable to flavoring desserts rather than more robust, savory dishes which can handle the heavier cassia. Ceylon cinnamon also has a much more pleasant smell.
Cassia Health Risks
Cassia cinnamon can contain large amounts of a chemical called coumarin. In people who are sensitive, coumarin might cause or worsen liver disease. Therefore there is risk when Cassia taken in large amounts, long-term.
When applied to the skin, cassia cinnamon can sometimes cause skin irritation and allergic skin reactions.
Sensitive people who consume Cassia cinnamon-flavored foods, drinks and food supplements may have a higher risk of liver damage, researchers from the University of Mississippi, USA, and King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, report in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.
Like many things imported from China, Cassia is harmful and cheap.