Which species is “Cinnamon”?
“Cinnamon” on a US retail label is usually not Ceylon cinnamon: roughly three-quarters of ground retail cinnamon is Indonesian korintje (Cinnamomum burmannii), a high-coumarin cassia-type species, and Chinese cassia is a third distinct article.
The species behind the name
- Cinnamon
Cinnamomum verum
Cinnamomum verum (“Ceylon” / true cinnamon) — low-coumarin; the species most clinical literature on “cinnamon” specifies when it specifies at all.
- Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)
Cinnamomum zeylanicum / Cinnamomum cassia / Cinnamomum verum
Cinnamomum cassia (Chinese cassia) — the pharmacopoeial gui zhi / rou gui article; cassia-type high-coumarin chemistry.
- Indonesian Cinnamon (Korintje)
Cinnamomum burmannii (Nees & T.Nees) Blume
Cinnamomum burmannii (korintje) — the dominant species in US ground retail cinnamon; high coumarin, central to Ceylon-vs-cassia authentication work.
How to tell what a product actually is
- “Ceylon cinnamon” should name C. verum on the label; bare “cinnamon” in US retail is usually korintje.
- Quill structure differs (many thin layers = Ceylon; single thick curl = cassia types), but ground powder is visually indistinguishable — species claims for powder need supplier verification.
The documented safety difference
The documented difference is coumarin: cassia-type cinnamons (burmannii, cassia) carry substantially more than Ceylon, which matters for daily high-intake use (EFSA tolerable-daily-intake assessment). This is an identity fact, not a recommendation for any species.
Documentation
Educational use only. This page explains species identity — it makes no claim that any species works for anything, and it is never a place to decide what to take. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you take medication, talk to your clinician or pharmacist before adding any botanical, whichever species it turns out to be.