// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Saigon cinnamon say? "I'm a roll.
| Saigon cinnamon | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Lauraceae |
| Genus: | Cinnamomum |
| Species: | C. loureiroi |
| Binomial name | |
| Cinnamomum loureiroi | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Saigon cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi, also known as Vietnamese cinnamon or Vietnamese cassia and quế Trà My, quế Thanh, quế Quỳ (Quỳ Châu, Quỳ Hợp) or quế Trà Bồng in Vietnam) is an evergreen tree indigenous to mainland Southeast Asia. Saigon cinnamon is more closely related to cassia (C. cassia) than to Ceylon cinnamon (C. verum), though in the same genus as both. Saigon cinnamon has 1–5% essential oil content and 25% cinnamaldehyde in essential oil. Consequently, among the species, Saigon cinnamon commands a relatively high price.
The scientific name was originally spelled as Cinnamomum loureirii, but because the species is named after the botanist João de Loureiro, this is to be treated under the ICN as an orthographic error for the correctly derived spelling of loureiroi.[3]
Saigon cinnamon contains one of the highest concentrations of coumarin among the commercially important cinnamon species. A review of analytical studies reported that an authenticated sample of Cinnamomum loureiroi contained 6.97 g/kg (0.697% by weight) of coumarin, although commercial samples vary considerably.[4] Coumarin is moderately toxic to the liver and kidneys, and minor neurological dysfunction was found in children exposed to coumarin during pregnancy.[5]
Production and uses
[edit source]Saigon cinnamon is produced primarily in Vietnam, both for domestic use and export. The Vietnam War disrupted production, but since the beginning of the early 21st century, Vietnam has resumed export of the spice, including to the United States, where it was unavailable for nearly 20 years. Although it is called Saigon cinnamon, it is not produced in the area around the southern city of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), but instead in the Central Highlands regions of the country, particularly the Quảng Ngãi Province of central Vietnam.
Saigon cinnamon is used primarily for its aromatic bark, which has a taste quite similar to that of C. cassia, but with a more pronounced and complex aroma.
In Vietnamese cuisine, Saigon cinnamon bark is an important ingredient in the broth used to make phở, a popular noodle soup dish.
Gallery
[edit source]
Vietnam cinnamon bark collected in Bắc Trà My, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Vietnam cinnamon leaves collected in Bắc Trà My, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
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See also
[edit source]References
[edit source]- ↑ de Kok, R. (2022). "Cinnamomum loureiroi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022 e.T145337936A145416181. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T145337936A145416181.en. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Cinnamomum loureiroi Nees". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ McNeill, J.; Barrie, F.R.; Buck, W.R.; Demoulin, V.; Greuter, W.; Hawksworth, D.L.; Herendeen, P.S.; Knapp, S.; Marhold, K.; Prado, J.; Prud'homme Van Reine, W.F.; Smith, G.F.; Wiersema, J.H.; Turland, N.J. (2012), International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code) adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress Melbourne, Australia, July 2011, vol. Regnum Vegetabile 154, A.R.G. Gantner Verlag KG, ISBN 978-3-87429-425-6 Article 60.7
- ↑ Lončar, Mirjana; Jakovljević, Martina; Šubarić, Drago; Pavlić, Martina; Buzjak Služek, Vlatka; Cindrić, Ines; Molnar, Maja (2020). "Coumarins in Food and Methods of Their Determination". Foods. 9 (5). Table 4. doi:10.3390/foods9050645. PMID 32443406.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ↑ Coumarin Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) Archived 2004-10-21 at the Wayback Machine
External links
[edit source]
- Vietnamese cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureirii Nees.) page from Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages