You would have seen this in your usual sundry shop and in around the areas that sell condiments and spices at your local hypermarket and perhaps enjoy the aroma that it comes with. The cinnamon or Kayu Manis known locally has one of the most distinctive aromas among all the ingredients used in food. It is no surprise that the Cinnamon is used in so many different types of cooking ranging from Chinese to Malay, Indian to Africa and even in Western dishes as well. In many ways, the Cinnamon is known to be a fragrance additive which gives your cooking a more aromatic look and feel to them.
Cinnamons in fact have more benefits than just providing the taste factor where research has shown that it actually comes with some very interesting health benefits. According to a recent study, it was found that Cinnamon can help to reduce the blood pressure significantly which in turn reduces your risk of hypertension. It is more evident among people who have Type 2 Diabetes which are the early stages of this health problem.
Furthermore, the sweet scent that you get from Cinnamon means that it helps in the control of the sugar levels. This very versatile spice is known to be able to battle bacteria which cause gum disease that reduces long-term decay around the teeth.
The good thing about Cinnamon is that it can be easily prepared and added to just about any type of cooking. You can throw some into the soup, add them in the rice cooker or just sprinkle into the Wok when cooking. In certain societies, Cinnamon is used as tooth picks which means that it can be used raw as well although biting the Kayu Manis uncooked might not taste as good as when it is cooked.