Cinnamon, said to come from the Greek word kinnámōmon, is a spice obtained from the inner bark of various trees which are members of the genus Cinnamomum. It has long been valued by various cultures, using it in religious events and as gifts, and has been used as far back as 2000 BC (source).

This aromatic spice is produced by first allowing cinnamon trees to grow for two years, at which point they are cut near ground level, allowing new branches to grow out of the stumps in a process called coppicing. These branches are then removed, scraped free of their outer bark, then beaten in order to loosen their inner bark. This inner bark is then removed, processed and dried, causing it to curl up into what we are familiar with: cinnamon sticks (source). From this point, it is either sold in stick form or as a powder which has a stronger…