Cinnamon
For Chinese dietary therapy, Cinnamon (肉桂) is a food of Warm nature and Sweet · Pungent flavor. A warm-to-hot bark at the boundary between culinary spice and materia medica.
Traditional energetics
- Nature
- Warm
- Flavor
- Sweet · Pungent
- Affinity
- Kidney · Spleen · Heart
- Direction of Qi
- Warm-hot · mobilizes and warms
- Season
- Winter
- Group
- Spices
How tradition reads it
A warm-to-hot bark at the boundary between culinary spice and materia medica.
Classic with ginger and jujube in winter decoctions; tradition avoids it in heat patterns and moderates it during pregnancy.
In the kitchen
Compotes, porridge, and infusions in small amounts.
Commonly available; no substitute needed.
Current nutrition note
The cassia variety is rich in coumarin, so moderate culinary use is advised; Ceylon cinnamon contains barely any.
Precautions
Cassia varieties concentrate coumarin; keep to culinary amounts and seek advice in pregnancy.
Recipes with this food
Health notice. Educational and study content. It describes concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. Needling, medicinal herbs and invasive techniques must be applied by trained professionals. Safety guide.
