Saigon cinnamon (''Cinnamomum loureiroi'', also known as Vietnamese cinnamon or Vietnamese cassia and ''quế trà my'', ''quế thanh'', or " quế trà bồng" in Vietnam) is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

indigenous to mainland

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

. Saigon cinnamon is more closely related to cassia ('' C. cassia'') than to

Ceylon cinnamon ''Cinnamomum verum'', called true cinnamon tree or Ceylon cinnamon tree, is a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka. The inner bark of several other ''Cinnamomum'' species are also used to make cinnamon, ...

('' C. verum''), though in the same genus as both. Saigon cinnamon has 1-5% essential oil content and 25%

cinnamaldehyde Cinnamaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula(C9H8O) C6H5CH=CHCHO. Occurring naturally as predominantly the ''trans'' (''E'') isomer, it gives cinnamon its flavor and odor. It is a phenylpropanoid that is naturally synthesized by the shi ...

in essential oil. Consequently, among the species, Saigon cinnamon commands a relatively high price. The scientific name was originally spelled as ''Cinnamomum loureirii'', but because the species is named after the botanist

João de Loureiro João de Loureiro (1717, Lisbon – 18 October 1791) was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary and botanist. Biography After receiving admission to the Jesuit Order, João de Loureiro served as a missionary in Goa, capital of Portuguese India (3 y ...

, this is to be treated under the ICN as an orthographic error for the correctly derived spelling of ''loureiroi''. Saigon cinnamon contains the second highest amount of

coumarin Coumarin () or 2''H''-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula . Its molecule can be described as a benzene molecule with two adjacent hydrogen atoms replaced by a lactone-like chain , forming a second six-membered h ...

of all the four ''Cinnamomum'' species sold as cinnamon, with one study detecting 6.97 g/kg in an authenticated sample. Coumarin is moderately toxic to the liver and kidneys, and minor neurological dysfunction was found in children exposed to coumarin during pregnancy.Coumarin Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

Production and uses

Saigon cinnamon is produced primarily in Vietnam, both for domestic use and export. The

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

disrupted production, but since the beginning of the early 21st century, Vietnam has resumed export of the spice, including to the United States, where it was unavailable for nearly 20 years. Although it is called Saigon cinnamon, it is not produced in the area around the southern city of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), but instead in the Central Highlands regions of the country, particularly the Quảng Ngãi Province of central Vietnam. Saigon cinnamon is used primarily for its aromatic

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, e ...

, which has a taste quite similar to that of '' C. cassia'', but with a more pronounced and complex aroma. In

Vietnamese cuisine Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes ( vi, ngũ vị, links=no, label=none): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish refle ...

, Saigon cinnamon bark is an important ingredient in the broth used to make ''

phở Phở or pho (, , ; ) is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles (), herbs, and meat (usually beef (), sometimes chicken ()). Phở is a popular food in Vietnam where it is served in households, street stalls and restaurants ...

'', a popular noodle soup dish.

Gallery

File:Vietnam cinnamon tree bark.jpg, Vietnam cinnamon bark collected in Bắc Trà My, Quảng Nam, Vietnam File:Vietnam cinnamon trees.jpg, Vietnam cinnamon leaves collected in Bắc Trà My, Quảng Nam, Vietnam

References

External links

Vietnamese cinnamon (''Cinnamomum loureirii'' Nees.) page
from Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages {{Taxonbar, from=Q2500191 Cinnamomum Spices

Production and uses

Gallery

See also

References

External links