Cinnamon

True cinnamon is a small evergreen tree of the laurel family with glossy, leathery leaves marked by three prominent veins, small pale flowers and dark berries. It is native to Sri Lanka and is grown in South India, including Kerala, where young shoots are coppiced for their bark.

The thin inner bark is used. Ayurveda knows it as Tvak and values it as a sweet, warming spice traditionally used for digestive comfort and in aromatic preparations. It is one of the three fragrant spices of the classical group Trijataka.