Cinnamon is a bark from tropical evergreen trees and can be used in sweet as well as savoury dishes. The aroma is earthy and sweet and for most people, reminiscent of Christmas and baking. The flavours are warm, sweet with a hint of bitterness. When used in a spice mix, cinnamon rounds the flavours off beautifully.
It was a prized spice in ancient Egypt and subsequently used in Ancient Greece and Rome in temples as an offering to the gods. With the crusades from 11th to the 15th century, many spices made their way into the western world and to the UK. This resulted in a highly spiced cuisine with cinnamon being at the forefront being used to flavour food as well as drinks.