Cassia
cinnamomum cassia
Note: middle.
Aroma Family: spicy.
Aroma profile:
very strong, sweet, warm, spicy aroma similar to cinnamon bark but with a smooth, deep, woody-balsamic undertone and dense, tenacious, spicy-sweet drydown.
saccharine, cinnamon-like, spicy, and slightly-woody.
Blends well with: sweet orange, clove, and other spices
Source
Scientific name: cinnamomum cassia
Distribution: originates in southern China and is widely cultivated there and elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia
Description: the tree grows to 10–15 m (33–49 ft) tall, with grayish bark and hard, elongated leaves that are 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) long and reddish when young.
Plant part: bark.
Extraction method: steam distillation.
Appearance: medium dark, orange-yellow, transparent, mobile liquid.
Chemistry
One study reports it to contain cinnamaldehyde isomers (70.57%), copaene (4.66%), benzenepropanal (3.67%), cadinene (3.41%), cadinol (1.85%), and cinnamyl alcohol (1.24%) as major constituents. Another study, besides cinnamaldehyde isomers (86.48), include cinnamyl acetate (3.53%), copaene (1.57%), and caryophyllene (1.03%) as noticeable components.
Media
Bibliography
Listening to Scent: An Olfactory Journey with Aromatic Plants and Their Extracts. Jennifer Peace Rhind. 2014. Singing Dragon.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalism. Julia Lawless. 1995. Element Books.
Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin. Steffen Arctander. 1962. Allured.
Chemistry section: Microbiology, 2014, Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 357–365 (DOI: 10.1134/S0026261714040067); Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2020, Vol. 129, No. 4, 1, pp. 906–915 (DOI:10.1111/jam.14683).
Images: Wikimedia Commons.