One of the oldest known spices, cinnamon is mentioned in the Bible and in Sanskrit writings. Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka and comes from the tropical evergreen laurel tree, Cinnamomum zeylanicum.

The spice is the tree bark, rolled into sticks, quills or ground to powder. Known as "true cinnamon" as opposed to Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia) which is commonly used as "cinnamon" in the United States.Thousands of years ago,

Egyptians included cinnamon in their embalming mixtures.

Cinnamon was also one of the spices that spurred world exploration.