Cassia
KASH-uh
Cinnamomum cassia
Warm, hot, sweet, boldly spicy.
What it is
Cassia is the dried bark of Cinnamomum cassia and its close relatives, sold around the world simply as cinnamon. It is bolder, hotter, and sweeter than true Ceylon cinnamon, with a harder, thicker bark that grinds to a reddish-brown powder. Most of the cinnamon on supermarket shelves and in commercial baking is cassia, which is why the spice can taste so much stronger than the delicate quills sold as Ceylon. Cassia anchors Chinese five spice and shows up in Indian garam masala and savory braises, where its punch holds up against meat and soy.
Similar but different
Easy to mix up, different enough that swapping changes the dish.
- Cinnamonwarm, sweet, delicate, gently woody.
Compare head to head
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: delicate custards.
Whole vs ground
Cassia bark is thick and hard, closer to wood than to true cinnamon's papery quills. It is tough to grind at home, so buy it ground for baking and keep sticks for long braises.
How to handle it
Use whole pieces in five spice braises and stocks where they can simmer. Ground cassia is the assertive cinnamon flavor most people know from cinnamon rolls and breakfast cereal.
Storage
Airtight and dark. Sticks last well over a year; ground keeps about six months.
Buying note
A single thick, hard curl of bark is cassia. Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon is a prized, especially strong cassia.
Classic dishes
Chinese red-braised pork, cinnamon rolls, pho broth, garam masala.
Out of cassia? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Ceylon cinnamon | 1:1, use a little more | softer, more floral, far less hot and spicy |
One odd thing
Cassia bark contains far more coumarin than Ceylon cinnamon, which is why baking authorities in some countries advise against using it in very large daily amounts.