Cinnamon Powder

The long, complicated history of cinnamon starts in Sri Lanka (once called Ceylon), where it grew originally before becoming prized around the world as a preservative and medicine—worth so much that it was often traded as a commodity. (Wars were fought over control of the source!) Made from the inner bark of the tropical cinnamon tree, the curled stick is the foundation of both Chinese Five Spice powder and iconic American apple pie.