It's worth to know the Ceylon Cinnamon classification (2024)

The spice industry is one of Sri Lanka's greatest cash cows, fueling the country's export strategy, which is being driven by rising global demand.

Cinnamon is by far the most essential and valuable spice in Sri Lanka, as the country holds the exclusive dominant position in Ceylon cinnamon production. Cinnamon planted and processed in Sri Lanka has a long history in the international market due to its distinctive quality, color, flavor, and fragrance.

Ceylon Cinnamon is made in Sri Lanka by peeling off the thin bark of the tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum of the

Lauraceae family, which is native to the island, and drying it while rolling it into quills. Making quills is a Sri Lankan specialty.

Sri Lankan cinnamon manufacturers produce a few classes of Ceylon cinnamon based on specifications set by the Sri Lankan Department of Agriculture. These grades are determined mostly by their outside look, moisture content, quill length, quill diameter, and foxing. And these grades have respective prices along with those quality parameters.

There are 4 main grades and accompanying subgrades.

1.Alba grade

2.Continental/ C grade

3.Mexican/ M grade

4.Hamburg/ H grade

Let's look into each grade.

Alba is the highest quality form of Ceylon cinnamon available on the marketand therefore bears the highest price tag. It is made from the finest and thinnest inner bark of the Ceylon cinnamon tree. Alba offers a high-quality Ceylon cinnamon flavor which is extremely mild and delicate sweet taste, strong fragrance and golden brown hue.

Alba is produced by very skilled peelers due to its thin gauge diameter similar to a pencil (6-7 mm). Usually, minimum 45 whole alba quills of 42 inches are consisted in 1 kg. Less amount of foxing (i.e. The occurrence of reddish-brown patches on the surface of the quills, which may become dark brown with time)is appeared on the skin. Among the other grades, Alba has the best sweet flavor, strongest scent and golden hue.

The Continental Grades of cinnamon are high quality and golden/yellow in color and subgraded into different classes. All other hallmarks of Alba are present in this grade, however each subgrade becomes slightly less fine and therefore gradually less expensive. Due to the climatic and soil conditions of Sri Lanka, C-grade tends to be produced more than other grades.

C5 Special cinnamon is the highest grade of C grade and is only second to Alba in terms of quality and price. Its quill diameter is 7-9 mm. Minimum 33 whole quills of 42 inches are consisted in 1 kg of C5 special grade cinnamon. Among the cinnamon grades, C5 special is golden/yellow in color and has best taste and scent.

This is the next highest grade of C grade after C5 Special, in terms of quality and price. Its maximum quill diameter is 10 mm. The minimum number of whole C5 quills of 42 inches per 1kg is 27. C5 also carries a golden/yellow hue, best flavor and scent.

The maximum quill diameter of this grade is 13 mm.Minimum 22 whole quills of 42 inches are consisted in 1 kg of C4 grade cinnamon.

This is the next C grade after C4, in terms of quality and price. Its quill diameter is 16 mm. The minimum number of whole C5 quills of 42 inches per 1kg is 20. C3 also carries a golden/yellow hue and best fragrance.

M grade cinnamon sticks offer a more coarse texture than alba and C grades with a brown hue with spicy aroma. This is sub graded into several classes and markedly less subtle.

This is the best grade of M grade. Its maximum quill diameter is 16 mm with quite a coarse texture. Minimum 18 whole quills of 42 inches are consisted in 1 kg of M5 grade cinnamon.

This is the next grade after M4, in terms of quality and price. 19 mm is its maximum quill diameter and the minimum number of whole M4 quills of 42 inches per 1kg is 15. C3 also carries a brown color and better fragrance.

Hamburg cinnamon is brown in color with dark brown patches on the skin and these are produced from more mature cinnamon bushes, which make the thickest, least delicate compared to other grades therefore, lowest cost cinnamon quill grade. Opposite to C grade, as the number of the subgrade gets lower, it is recognized as having better quality.

This is the best cinnamon of Hamburg grade with the lowest quill diameter of 23 mm in the grade. H1 possesses a pale brown hue, distinct flavor and scent along with quite coarse texture. Minimum 10 whole quills of 42 inches are consisted in 1 kg of H1 cinnamon.

H2 is the next grade after H1, in terms of quality and price. 25 mm is its maximum quill diameter and minimum 7 quills consist in 1 kg of cinnamon.

Its maximum quill diameter is 38 mm and minimum 6 quills consist in 1 kg of this grade cinnamon. H3 also carries a brown color and a better fragrance.