Alaamoe Keoranui has some recommendations for cooking with her processed cinnamon. OK Farms In Hilo, Hawaii: “Sprinkle it on plantains or mix it into your coffee.” Its flavor is the pinnacle of warmth, as if orange blossom, red hot, and vanilla pods had intertwined with each other and grown into 40 cinnamomum verum trees, her spice roots. Of course, in reality, The origins of Keoranui cinnamon, grown on family farms, go even deeper. Botanically healthy. “All of our Ceylon trees start with keiki,” Keoranui says of the plant’s red buds. “You don’t have to do much after planting them. We were surprised at how well they did here on the Hilo side (of the Big Island).”
It may come as a surprise to spice hunters that Ceylon cinnamon is grown in Hawaii. of The precious variety is known as terracotta–Sri Lanka’s colorful treasures, Home of trees for centuriess (“Ceylon” was the country’s name during British colonial times). sandy, meOmic soils and hot, rainy weather have created an oasis of woody plants and the precious spices they produce for thousands of years. But as it is true, For many crops, climate change is testing this legacy. “I’ve never seen rain like this before,” said Sameera Ambegoda, whose family grows Ceylon cinnamon in Sri Lanka. At the end of November 2025, three cyclones and a severe monsoon occurred simultaneously, devastating the island nation. Part of a larger trend in observed pronounced wetter and warming patternssome Models predict that the country’s surface temperature will increase by 1 to 1.5 degrees by 2050, with a corresponding increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events.. For cinnamon farmers, these erratic weather patterns directly impact crop yields. “When it comes to cinnamon, the sun is responsible for drying, while the rain is responsible for harvesting and peeling. ”
However, Ceylon cinnamon is loved all over the world. Champurado, The M RecipeeKiskan’s chocolate-based beverages, characterized by the thick consistency and corn-forward flavor of masa, and Indian multi-spiced masala chai, especially tend to seek out this variety for its well-known blending ability, adding warmth and natural sweetness without overpowering other flavors. Its woody, citrus notes and complexity add depth to savory dishes, from stews to tagines and curries. upstart wave And the fun, story-driven spice company is helping bring even more attention to an already beloved spice. spice walla Ceylon Cinnamon is woven into a special golden milk blend. Burlap & Barrel It comes with a quill that is specially cut impressively to fit into the glass bottle. Diaspora Co., Ltd.It is composed of Penimiris cinnamon. fusion of old and new trees have dcreated a passionate followingg;The review section of the website has a page of little love notes written to Spice. Spicy elder bark and sweet young tree bark combine to create a sweet and spicy element of yin and yang, harnessing everything that Cinnamomum verum has to offer.
While their crop is celebrated around the world, cinnamon farmers in Sri Lanka are grappling with disruption caused by changing weather cycles caused by global warming. Prolonged drought and increased extreme rainfall are no longer guaranteeing the ideal, steady rainfall that cinnamon trees rely on and that Sri Lanka has long provided. Too little water can be detrimental to the crop, while too much water can cause flooding. And, as Burlap & Barrel co-founder Ethan Frisch points out, the effects of changing weather patterns trickle down to farmers from the field. “Most farmers who grow cinnamon do it in rural areas, where they only do the first step in the export process. “You’re driving down a dirt road up a mountain, and if it floods or becomes impassable, the entire supply chain is disrupted. Not only are there direct agricultural impacts from climate change, but there are also economic impacts,” he says.
As concerns arise over the future of what has become known as “the world’s best cinnamon,” growers have decided the battle should be international. What is their strategy? Sow the seeds.
“We chose to work with this cinnamon because it is rare and worth sharing,” says Alexander Larsen of Guatemala Trading Company, a plant medicine and spice distribution partner. Since 2014, he and his partner Valkyria have been working with neighboring farmers (who grow cacao themselves) who grow and peel real cinnamon in Cobán, Guatemala, another place where the Cinnamomum verum tree has found a home. “When someone enjoys it in chocolate or coffee or even a dish like pho, they are making a connection to crops that grow naturally and responsibly in the cloud forest, and that connection helps drive demand for farming practices that respect the land.”
Its woody, citrus notes and complexity add depth to savory dishes, from stews to tagines and curries.
The plant, better known there as canela or Guatemalan cinnamon, grows in foggy, mossy, orchid- and fern-filled cloud forests that provide steady rainfall, constant humidity, and rich volcanic soil.. In Guatemalan cuisine, cinnamon is the star of atole and cakic (a turkey soup with cinnamon and chili peppers of Mayan origin). “The fact that cinnamon is so effective… Alta Verapaz gives spices a new foothold and another safe place in the world. And that’s important. “The more areas cinnamon can thrive in, the more secure its future will be,” Larsen says.
Diversifying your growing locations provides options as well as resiliency. But the question also arises: what is lost when a crop is taken from its homeland and planted elsewhere? “Ceylon cinnamon is Sri Lankan,” says Ambegoda. For him, one of the things that makes this spice so special is how it tells the story of the places and people who have preserved the labor-intensive techniques needed to shape the delicate, sweet-spicy flavors that are so popular. “Harvesting and processing cinnamon is a real craft, and in Sri Lanka, the skills are passed down through generations. It’s like, ‘If my grandfather did it, he would tell me,'” Ambegoda explains. However, this process also has vulnerabilities. “As more children move away from agricultural work and the countryside, the crafts involved in each process, such as peeling, are really at risk of being lost.”
From growing on the tree to pricking a branch, the complete transformation of cinnamon requires six steps. Pruned, peeled, sun-dried, rolled, dried again, rolled again. Pruning, that is, cutting the branches of the tree, is done first. Traditionally, harvesting occurs at the end of Sri Lanka’s two rainy monsoons to ensure that the bark has enough moisture to be safely manipulated and does not become brittle or crack. The next step is peeling. Using a small knife and good technique, cut the inner bark of the tree into strips. They are laid out to dry in the sun at the whim of the earth. This is the process key to locking in the Ceylon cinnamon flavor and shaping the slightly curled tip of the cinnamon stick. After about two weeks, gently and carefully roll the bark to incorporate the excess cinnamon, just as you would roll a Yule log cake (one way to tell if it’s real Ceylon cinnamon is that its edges will look like layers of cardboard rather than a single spiral). From there, the sticks are dried again, but this time under a roof cover and placed on a line of yarn that forms a floating bed with airflow. Finally, press the cinnamon firmly again, roll it, and cut it into 8-10 centimeter sticks, which can be packaged and sold.
Complete transformation of cinnamon requires six steps: pruning, peeling, sun-drying, rolling, drying again, and rolling again.
Today, Ambegoda sells Ceylon cinnamon and other spices and plants grown by Sri Lankan families and other small farmers through a spice company based in Louisville, Kentucky. Seyolanka spice (He is a connection to the US). Similar to the wave of farmers-forward spice companies founded over the past decade, at the core of Seyolanka is a commitment to protecting environmental knowledge by ensuring that the future of the industry is visible to those who hold it. “During the pandemic, people seemed to get really interested in Ceylon (cinnamon),” he says. “Just by growing cinnamon, a farmer could buy a new home, which is huge.”
But for many people, planting Ceylon cinnamon in a new location is worth it. For Keoranui, it goes back to building a more sustainable, local food system that puts people and land first. ““Ninety percent of Hawaii’s food is imported, and that’s the problem,” she says. There is no need to buy from famous mainland brands. ”
In Mexico, Ceylon cinnamon is also a local food and part of the country’s burgeoning agroforestry movement, which calls for intentionally planting trees to increase biodiversity and improve soil health. Ceylon cinnamon is also planted alongside heirloom foods such as cacao, achiote and chili, and this product is becoming internationally famous. Chocolate company in Austin, Texas HijitaFounded and run by San Francisco-based former head chocolatier of the famous Dandelion Chocolate, Ashley Ugarte identified the Ceylon cinnamon from Veracruz that she uses in the snowflake shapes. Toasty Hocharter chocolate bar and drink chocolate. You can also buy cinnamon sticks and cinnamon powder. Both come with a note that shows respect for the people and labor behind the spices. This seems to continue wherever Ceylon cinnamon goes. The spices were grown “by a cooperative of Veracruz farmers who consider their land an ‘edible garden’ and use agroforestry techniques to plant, grow and cultivate a variety of crops, ensuring healthy soil for long-term growth and sustainability,” the slip states.
Now back in Hawaii, Keolanui plans to make the most of the Ceylon cinnamon trees he grew in Hilo by turning the scraps left over from the harvest into cutting boards and coasters so they don’t go to waste. “We’re still going to be here, and I’m going to continue to be the ‘Cinnamon Lady,'” she says. “We will continue to save seeds and continue to plant trees.”
