Two kinds of cinnamon
Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of several trees in the genus Cinnamomum. Two groups end up in kitchens.
| Ceylon ("true" cinnamon) | Cassia | |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Cinnamomum verum | C. cassia (Chinese), C. loureiroi (Saigon or Vietnamese), C. burmannii (Korintje or Indonesian) |
| Grown in | Mainly Sri Lanka | Southeast Asia: China, Vietnam, Indonesia |
| Sticks | Thin, papery, many layers rolled together; crumble easily and grind in a spice grinder | Thick, hard bark, usually one layer curled in from both sides |
| Flavor | Delicate and mild | Stronger and spicier; Saigon has the most oil and the boldest taste, Indonesian the least oil and the lowest price |
| Coumarin | Very little | Much more (see below) |
| In U.S. stores | Usually labeled “Ceylon”; costs more | The most common cinnamon sold in North America; a jar that just says “cinnamon” is almost always cassia |
What coumarin is
Coumarin is a natural flavor compound found in cassia cinnamon (and in some other plants). In large amounts over a long time it can harm the liver in sensitive people. The NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says cinnamon is likely safe in the amounts commonly used in food, and that prolonged use of cassia could be an issue for sensitive people, such as those with liver disease.
How much coumarin cinnamon contains varies widely. Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) gives about 3,000 mg per kilogram for cassia on average, with some samples up to 10,000. Austria’s food safety agency measured 1,880 to 3,260 mg per kilogram in cassia samples and no more than 185 in Ceylon.
How much is too much
The European Food Safety Authority set a tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.1 mg of coumarin per kilogram of body weight per day in 2004 and kept it after a new review in 2008. A TDI is the amount a person can take in every day over a lifetime without appreciable health risk. EFSA added that taking in three times the TDI for one to two weeks is not a safety concern, so an occasional cinnamon-heavy day is not the issue. Daily habits over months are.
Here is what the TDI means in cinnamon, using cassia at the BfR’s average of about 3,000 mg of coumarin per kilogram and about 2.6 grams per teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Actual products vary, so these are rough.
| Body weight | TDI (coumarin per day) | Cassia to reach it | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 lb (15 kg), a toddler | 1.5 mg | 0.5 g | 1/5 teaspoon |
| 66 lb (30 kg), a school-age child | 3 mg | 1 g | a little over 1/3 teaspoon |
| 132 lb (60 kg) | 6 mg | 2 g | 3/4 teaspoon |
| 176 lb (80 kg) | 8 mg | 2.7 g | 1 teaspoon |
What this means for your family
- Using cinnamon in recipes now and then is not a concern. Most recipes in this collection use about 1/8 teaspoon per serving or less.
- If someone in your house eats a lot of cinnamon every day (cinnamon oatmeal every morning, cinnamon toast, lots of baking), the BfR suggests using Ceylon cinnamon, which is low in coumarin. It matters most for small children, because the limit is based on body weight.
- Cinnamon supplements and capsules can contain much more cassia than food does.
- Ceylon and cassia swap one for one in recipes. Ceylon is milder, so some cooks use a little more.
Sources
- FoodData Central (SR Legacy), USDA Agricultural Research Service. Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Cinnamon, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Frequently asked questions about coumarin in cinnamon and other foods, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Coumarin in flavourings and other food ingredients with flavouring properties: Scientific Opinion of the AFC Panel (2008), European Food Safety Authority. Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Coumarin, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES). Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Cinnamomum cassia, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Saigon cinnamon, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Cinnamomum burmanni, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-25.
Updated 2026-10-25.