Cassia cinnamon comes from the Cinnamomum cassia tree, also called Cinnamomum aromaticum.

It originated in Southern China and is also known as Chinese cinnamon.

However, there are several subspecies now widely grown across Eastern and Southern Asia (2).

Cassia tends to be a dark brown-red color with thicker sticks and a rougher texture than Ceylon cinnamon.

Cassia cinnamon is considered lower quality. It is very cheap and is the type most commonly consumed around the world. Almost all cinnamon found in supermarkets is the cassia variety.

Cassia has long been used in cooking and in traditional Chinese medicine. Roughly 95% of its oil is cinnamaldehyde, which gives cassia a very strong, spicy flavor