Cinnamon Chips
Cinnamon chips are thick, rough-cut pieces of cinnamon bark, and they carry more punch per piece than any ground spice in your cabinet.
What It Is
Two species of cinnamon share the bag here: Cinnamomum cassia and Cinnamomum burmannii, both warm and spicy rather than the delicate, floral style of Ceylon cinnamon. The chips are bark, plain and simple, cut into small irregular pieces instead of rolled into quills or ground to powder.
Because they are thick and dense, they give up their flavor slowly, which makes them better suited to long cooking than to a quick stir. Drop one in a pot of oatmeal or rice pudding and the whole dish takes on a deep, steady warmth you cannot get from a pinch of powder.
What To Do
Use a chip or two anywhere you would simmer something for twenty minutes or more: braised meats, mulled cider, poached fruit, beans, or a pot of chai. Add them at the start, let them work, then fish them out before serving. They are not meant to be eaten.
For mulled cider, two or three chips per quart is plenty. Store them in a sealed container away from light and heat, and they will hold their strength for well over a year. You can also crack a chip with the flat of a heavy knife and steep it in hot water for a stronger, rougher cup of cinnamon tea.
