What's So Special About Cinnamon?

I don't know about you, but just the smell of cinnamon makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.

My favorite cookies to make is Snickerdoodles because I just LOVE the smell of them baking. There's just something warm and delicious about it.

The sense of smell is powerful - and when my kids smell Cinnamon, they are going to feel warm and fuzzy all over because of the fun we've had in the kitchen.

But, you might be surprised to know that the history of Cinnamon goes waaaay back - it was one of the first trade spices.

In fact, cinnamon is mentioned in the Bible - it was used in the combination of ingredients used to make a holy anointing oil for the tabernacle:
Moreover the Lord spake unto Moses saying,

Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,

And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:

And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
Exodus 30:22-25 NKJV
The ointment or oil was used to anoint the tabernacle of the congregation, the ark of the testimony, the table and all the vessels, the candlestick, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt-offering, etc.

I find two things interesting about this passage:
That cinnamon was an ingredient in this holy anointing oil
That is is called "an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary.
Does cinnamon have health benefits as well?

There are cinnamon pills for diabetes, cinnamon bark used medicinally by the Chinese for calming stomach acids, cinnamon bark being used in India for childbirth labor, and cinnamon increasing blood circulation and creating a warm feeling.

Well, didn't I start out by saying just the smell of cinnamon makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over?

About the Author

Laura Bankston is author of Internationally selling Cooking with Kids Curriculum: