Cinnamon, common name for several related trees of the Lauracea family, and for a spice made from the dried bark of the trees. The best-known species, Cinnamomum ceylanicum Breyne, is native to Sri Lanka. The tree, a tropical evergreen is up to 14m (45ft) high, with strong branches and a thick scabrous bark with young shoots, speckled greeny-orange. It has shiny leathery leaves, small white flowers and oval bluish-white berries. Although it is cultivated in many other tropical countries such as the Seychelles, Malaysia, the Comoro Islands, South India, Burma, Jamaica and others, that grown in Sri Lanka is superior in taste.

The spice is yellowish brown and has a distinctive fragrant aroma and a sweetish, pungent taste. It has been used for thousands of years in the East as a spice in many culinary preparations and also in some medicines. The quills of the cinnamon spice are made from the stems. When the bark begins to turn brown, the stems, which may be about 2.5m (about 8 ft) tall and 5cm (2 in) in diameter at the base, are harvested and new ones are trained to grow in their place. After the tree is stripped of leaves and twigs, the inner and outer bark is removed. As the bark dries, it forms quills (rolls), the smaller of which are inserted into the larger.

The aromatic qualities of cinnamon result from a volatile oil that may be extracted from the bark by distillation. Just like the spice, the oil has also been used since early times as an added flavoring in different foods and drinks, especially alcoholic and soft drinks. Both bark and leaf oils are used for their fragrance and therapeutic actions in medicines treating colds, coughs, dental- and gum problems. It is equally used for digestive and menstrual problems, rheumatism, kidney troubles and as a general stimulant. It relieves nausea and vomiting because of its mild astringency and is used against diarrhea.Cinnamon leaf oil is obtained from the leaves and twigs of Cinnamomum ceylanicum Breyne, the same tree which yields the Ceyclon cinnamon bark oil. Cinnamic aldehyde C9H8O can be synthesized from benzaldehyde and acetaldehyde. It is the main component of cinnamon bark oil. It appears as a yellow liquid and its odor is a very powerful one and typical of cinnamon. During the isolation procedure, the dried bark is subject to steam distillation. The oil varies in color from cherry red to yellow and depending on the source of the raw material yields 0.5-1.0%.