Cinnamon sticks in India is a common spice that exists in many dishes in this country. But, do you know everything about cinnamon sticks in India? We have a lot of customers from India who ask to buy our cinnamon. And we figure out that they have some misconceptions about cinnamon sticks. In this article, let me give you detailed information to correct those misconceptions.
Contents
Cinnamon sticks in India: An overview
Before getting to know the misconceptions about cinnamon sticks, let’s look at basic facts about cinnamon sticks in India!
Cassia vs Ceylon cinnamon sticks in India
Cinnamon sticks in India is a common spice for the cuisine in this country. Cinnamon sticks in India are divided into two varieties: Cassia cinnamon stick and Ceylon cinnamon stick. They are easily confused if we do not understand them well.
Cassia cinnamon sticks in India are cheaper alternatives to Ceylon cinnamon. Although they are similar in certain aspects, Cassia and Ceylon cinnamon are two distinct species with significant differences in appearance and chemical properties.
The below table represents the differences between Cassia cinnamon sticks in India vs Ceylon cinnamon sticks:
| Colour | Cassia cinnamon sticks | Ceylon cinnamon sticks |
| Colour | Reddish dark brown | Light brown |
| Appearance | Thick, contain numerous layers when rolled up | Thin, contain a few layers when rolled up |
| Textile | Hard and rough. Difficult to break | Soft and fragile. Easy to break |
| Coumarin content | High (0.4 – 0.8%) | Low (0.02%) |
| Cinnamaldehyde | High (85%) | Low (50–63%) |
| Taste and Smell | Spicy taste. Strong and pungent smell | Mild sweet taste. Aromatic and slightly fragrant smell |
| Suppliers of cinnamon sticks in India | Vietnam, Indonesia, China | Sri Lanka |
Forms of cinnamon
There are 3 main forms of cinnamon: stick cinnamon, split cinnamon and broken cinnamon. Depending on the purpose, you will have different choices when purchasing cinnamon.
You will buy:
- Stick cinnamon/Cigarette cinnamon: They have high oil essential of 3-5% and are commonly used in cooking or food decoration. Cinnamon sticks in India can be processed in 2 common forms based on length, which are long-stick cinnamon and cigarette cinnamon. Long stick cinnamon is about 30-45 cm long, while cigarette cinnamon is about 5-15 cm long. In fact, suppliers can cut the cinnamon stick to the length required by the customer.
The price of cinnamon sticks in India will vary based on the roll rate. The higher the roll rate, the more expensive. The roll rate represents the uniformity of the cinnamon roll. Roll rate of 90% means that in 100 cinnamon sticks, there are 90 rolled sticks 10 spread sticks. Cinnamon sticks with 100% roll rate is about 200-300 USD/ton higher than 90% roll rate.
- Split cinnamon: They have lower oil essential of 2-3% and are mainly used to make cinnamon powder. Sometimes people in India also eat split cinnamon directly. The price of split cinnamon varies based on the thickness of the bark. The thicker bark of split cinnamon means that it contains higher oil content, therefore its price is more expensive.
A K-Agriculture worker is making split cinnamon
- Broken cinnamon: They have the lowest oil essential of 1-3% and are used to make cinnamon powder or oil extraction. The price of broken cinnamon depends on the oil content. There are two types of broken cinnamon, which are:
- KABC (KABC Broken Cinnamon is taken from broken pieces of cigarette cinnamon. The outer layer is peeled and the oil content is higher, of about 2.5-4%)
- KBBC (KBBC Broken Cinnamon is taken from broken pieces of split cinnamon. The outer layer is not peeled and the oil content is lower than KABC, of about 1-2.5%)
KABC will have a higher price than KBBC, in particular, about 1000 USD/ton higher.
Custom import duty for cinnamon sticks in India
When cinnamon sticks in India are imported from Vietnam, the Indian government imposes import duty on the goods. Here are the HS codes and the respective customs duty rates of cinnamon sticks in India that you should pay attention to:
- 09061110: Cinnamon bark (neither crushed nor ground): 30%
- 09061190: Other cinnamon (neither crushed nor ground): 30%
- 09062000: Crushed or ground cinnamon: 30%
Supply of cinnamon sticks in India
Cinnamon trees usually grow best in tropical South Asia regions with warm weather and high moisture. Imported cinnamon sticks in India mainly come from countries like Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia and China.
Vietnam
Vietnam is the leading supplying country for Cassia cinnamon sticks in India. Vietnam is well-known for its production of Saigon cinnamon, one of three typical types of Cassia cinnamon. Saigon cinnamon is known to have the richest and strongest flavor because of its highest coumarin content of 0.697%. The powerful taste of cinnamon from Vietnam has captivated Indians consumers and make them import a large quantity of Vietnamese cinnamon. Indian buyers tend to import split cinnamon and broken cinnamon from Vietnam to make cinnamon powder or use them as flavouring agent in producing liquid, sweets or cookies. Indian buyers also import cinnamon sticks to use them in cooking and food decoration.
In 2021, the quantity of cinnamon sticks in India imported from Vietnam is about 34 thousands tons, equivalent to nearly 110 million USD. The FOB price of Vietnamese cinnamon stick is from 4000 – 5000 USD per ton.
Want to get the latest news about cinnamon wholesale price? Don’t hesitate to contact Ms Camila from K-Agriculture via WhatsAapp +84 844444 867!
Indonesia
Indonesia does not provide too much cinnamon for Indian market. Indonesia is well-known for producing large quantities of Korintje cinnamon, which is affordable to farm and import. Korintje cinnamon is also one type of Cassia cinnamon sticks in India. The flavour and smell of Korintje cinnamon are less stronger than Saigon cinnamon due to its lower coumarin content (0.215%).
In 2021, Indonesia only exported about 900 tons of cinnamon sticks in India, equivalent to ~5 million USD. FOB price of Indonesian cinnamon sticks is estimated at 5000 – 7000 USD per ton.
China
China is a big producer of Cassia cinnamon sticks in India. Chinese cinnamon trees can be found in Guanxi, Yunnan, Guangdong, and Fujian. The flavor of cassia cinnamon from China is slightly spicy and slightly bitter, not as robust as Vietnamese cinnamon. The coumarin content in Chinese cassia is only 0.031%. Chinese cassia cinnamon is not highly valued for its quality, oil content, or flavor, so its price is cheap, which may suitable for price-sentitive market like India.
In 2021, China exported nearly 3000 tons of cassia cinnamon sticks in India, valued at about 3 million USD.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is the leading supplying country for Ceylon cinnamon sticks in India. Ceylon cinnamon sticks are often more expensive than Cassia cinnamon sticks in India due to their difficult cultivation and premium quality. The price of Ceylon cinnamon is about 2-3 times higher than Cassia cinnamon. Due to the unstable political situation in Sri Lanka, the import and export of Ceylon cinnamon are very difficult and impossible.
A comparison chart of cinnamon between countries
Vietnam, Indonesia and China are the three main suppliers of wholesale cinnamon sticks in India. We have made the below chart to compare the cinnamon of the three countries.
| Cassia cinnamon | Vietnamese Cinnamon | Korintjie Cinnamon | Ceylon Cinnamon | |
| Scientific Name | Normal/Regular cinnamon; Chinese cinnamon | Saigon cinnamon; Vietnamese cassia | Indonesian cinnamon; Padang cassia | True cinnamon; Mexican cinnamon |
| Primary Origin | China | Vietnam | Indonesia | Sri Lanka |
| Taste | Spicy and bitter | Spicy and sweet | Spicy | Mildly sweet |
| Color | Dark reddish-brown | Dark reddish-brown | Dark reddish-brown | Light reddish-brown |
| Price | Cheap | Cheap to moderate (better grades cost more) | Cheap | Expensive |
| Coumarin Content | 0.031% (0.31g/kg) | 0.697% (0.697g/kg) | 0.215% (0.215g/kg) | 0.0017% (0.0017g/kg) |
- If you have limited budget, try purchasing cinnamon sticks from China or Indonesia.
- Sri Lanka with the famed Ceylon cinnamon stick is a wonderful choice if you want exceptionally high quality and unique flavor.
- If you want to buy high-quality cinnamon at a reasonable price, the Vietnamese cinnamon stick is a good option.
Misconceptions about cinnamon sticks in India
In this section, we will show what people often think about cinnamon sticks in India and how they are wrong!
Thinner cinnamon bark is of higher quality
Actually, the answer is no. Indian people often think that thinner cinnamon bark is tastier and more premium. But the truth is not like that.
Thin cinnamon barks are often taken from young cinnamon trees that contain less oil content. Cinnamon barks that have low oil content cannot be delicious and tasty and the price will be very cheap. The premium quality cinnamon sticks in India must have a thick bark of more than 2mm. Thicker barks will contain more oil, which means that the taste is better.
Bright yellow colour is better
Many people in India think that cinnamon sticks in India that have brighter yellow colour will be much better. However, to be honest, the natural colour of cinnamon is dark yellow and brown. So how do we have bright yellow cinnamon? The truth is that some suppliers use sulfur to burn cinnamon, creating a bright yellow colour. But sulfur contains high toxins, very dangerous for health. Therefore, be careful when selecting cinnamon!
Cinnamon price differs based on thickness and colour
In fact, the price of cinnamon sticks in India will differ based on the roll rate (for stick/cigarette cinnamon), thickness (for split and tube cinnamon) and oil content (for broken cinnamon).
Watch more about how to identify high-quality cinnamon here:
Real cinnamon vs fake cinnamon in India
Have you heard the name “Forest cinnamon”? Forest cinnamon is not either Cassia or Ceylon, but it looks like Cassia. Some suppliers mix it with the real Cassia to lower the price. The mix amount would be 5-10%, so customers mostly cannot recognize it. The taste of forest cinnamon is very bitter, and the smell is like tea tree. So, be careful with the unbelievable low price. We know that India is a price-sensitive market. But you should not expect a too low price since you may have a chance to get the fake cinnamon mixed with the real cinnamon.
Forest cinnamon
K-Agriculture commits to selling high-quality cinnamon for you, no mixing with Chinese ones, no mixing with forest cinnamon. We don’t give a low price to attract customers. Our price goes with the best quality for you. Being a giant in trading cinnamon products internationally in Vietnam – the biggest broken cinnamon, split cinnamon and cinnamon stick exporter since 1996, K-agriculture is proud to bring buyers broken cinnamon with uniform quality standards and affordable prices.
K-Agriculture is renowned for its huge cinnamon export volume and high quality of cinnamon. K-Agriculture is proud to be one of the best agricultural factories that produce the best quality cinnamon in Vietnam.
Our cinnamon is harvested from Yen Bai, Quang Ninh growing areas. We are providing:
+ Stick cinnamon
+ Split cinnamon
+ Broken cinnamon
+ Tube cinnamon
+ Cigarette cinnamon
K-Agriculture is providing various types of cinnamon
Leave a message to K-Agriculture:
*Email: info@k-agriculture.com
*Website: https://k-agriculture.com/
*WhatsApp: +84 84 4444 867 (Ms Camila)
Or, leave a message to us by filling out the form below. Due to time zone differences, we can not respond to you immediately. But we will reply to you as soon as possible within 1 day. Thanks for contacting us!
