Cinnamon ( Cassia)quills 50g

Recipes & Uses

Recipe for Cinnamon quills

🍜 Authentic Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup) Broth

*Makes 6-8 servings | Active time: 30 mins | Simmer time: 6-12 hours*

Key Aromatics (Charred for Depth):

• 2 cinnamon quills (preferably Cassia for boldness)

• 3 star anise

• 5 cloves

• 1 black cardamom pod (or 2 green)

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

• 1 large onion, halved (unpeeled)

• 4-inch ginger piece, halved (unpeeled)

Broth Ingredients:

• 4 lbs beef bones (knuckle, marrow, and oxtail)

• 2 lbs beef brisket (whole piece)

• 1 lb beef tendon (optional for texture)

• 1/4 cup fish sauce

• 2 tbsp rock sugar (or brown sugar)

• 2 tsp salt

• 6 quarts water

Essential Technique:

1. Char aromatics:

   • Dry-toast cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom, and coriander in a pan until fragrant (~2 mins).

   • Char onion and ginger directly over gas flame or under broiler until blackened (10 mins). Scrape off charred skins.

2. Parboil bones:

   • Boil bones for 10 mins, then scrub clean (removes impurities for clear broth).

3. Simmer broth:

   • In a clean pot, combine bones, brisket, tendon (if using), and water.

   • Skim scum for first hour.

   • After 3 hours, add charred aromatics, fish sauce, sugar, and salt.

   • Continue simmering (gentle bubbles only):

     • 6 hours minimum (home cook)

     • 12 hours ideal (restaurant-style)

4. Strain & serve:

   • Remove brisket after 3 hours (slice thin when cool).

   • Discard spices but save cinnamon quills for garnish.

   • Strain broth through cheesecloth for crystal clarity.

Pho Assembly:

• Rice noodles (soaked)

• Thinly sliced raw sirloin (cooked by hot broth)

• Herbs (Thai basil, cilantro)

• Garnishes: Lime, bean sprouts, jalapeños

• Hidden touch: Add a small piece of spent cinnamon quill to each bowl for aroma.

Why Cinnamon Quills Matter in Pho:

1. Balances fish sauce – Their sweetness counters umami saltiness

2. Slow release – Whole quills prevent overpowering spice

3. Visual signature – Left in the bowl as an edible garnish

Pro Tip: Vietnamese chefs often bruise cinnamon quills before adding to release oils faster without breaking them apart.

Why Choose Cinnamon Quills?

Designed for slow infusion
Whole cinnamon releases its flavour gradually as a dish cooks.

Easy to remove before serving
You get the flavour without ground spice remaining in the finished dish.

Ideal for drinks and poaching liquids
Perfect for mulled wine, cider, poached fruit and spiced syrups.

Excellent for curries, broths and rice
A single quill can slowly perfume an entire pot.

A whole spice you can toast or bruise
Lightly warming or cracking the bark helps encourage the aromatic oils to release.

What Do Cassia Cinnamon Quills Taste Like?

Cassia Cinnamon is sweet, warming, aromatic and slightly spicy.

When used whole, the flavour develops more gradually than Ground Cinnamon.

Rather than immediately dispersing through the food, the quill slowly perfumes the surrounding liquid.

This makes the whole form especially useful when you want background warmth rather than cinnamon powder throughout the dish.

How to Use Cinnamon Quills

Curries

Add one Cinnamon Quill during the early stages of cooking and allow it to simmer in the sauce.

Remove it before serving.

It works particularly well alongside other whole spices such as cardamom, cloves and bay leaves.

Mulled Wine or Cider

Add a quill to wine, cider or apple juice with complementary spices and gently heat.

The cinnamon slowly releases into the liquid.

Poached Pears

Add Cinnamon Quills to the poaching liquid with sugar, citrus and other spices.

The fruit absorbs the gentle warmth as it cooks.

Stewed Apples

Cook apples with a whole Cinnamon Quill rather than Ground Cinnamon when you want a smoother finished mixture without visible spice.

Basmati Rice & Pilaf

Add a quill to the cooking liquid along with cardamom or cloves for fragrant rice.

Broths

Use in long-simmered broths where whole spices have plenty of time to infuse.

Whole Quills vs Ground Cinnamon

Choose Cinnamon Quills when you want:

• Slow flavour release
• An ingredient you can remove
• Mulled drinks
• Broths and soups
• Curries and stews
• Poached fruit
• Fragrant rice

Choose Ground Cinnamon when you want:

• Baking
• Cinnamon throughout the finished dish
• Breakfast foods
• Quick flavour
• Spice mixes and rubs

The difference isn't simply form.

It's how the cinnamon behaves while you cook.

Why Add Whole Spices Early?

A Cinnamon Quill needs time.

Unlike Ground Cinnamon, it doesn't immediately disperse through the food.

Adding it near the beginning gives heat and moisture time to draw the flavour from the bark.

That's why whole cinnamon works particularly well in dishes that:

Simmer
Braise
Poach
Steep

The longer, gentler cooking allows the aroma to develop without needing to grind the spice.

Toast or Bruise for Extra Aroma

You can use Cinnamon Quills exactly as they are.

But when you want a stronger aromatic effect, gently warm them in a dry pan with your other whole spices before cooking.

Alternatively, lightly bruise or crack the quill before adding it to a liquid.

This exposes more of the bark and can help the flavour release more readily.

You don't need to grind it.

A little surface damage is enough.

Try It This Way

For easy cinnamon-infused rice, add to your pot:

Basmati rice
Water
One Cinnamon Quill
One or two Cardamom Pods
A pinch of salt

Cook as usual.

Remove the whole spices before serving.

You get fragrant rice without seeing or tasting ground spice in every mouthful.

Make a Simple Spiced Apple Drink

Warm apple juice gently with:

One Cinnamon Quill
A few cloves
Fresh orange peel

Allow the spices to infuse without boiling aggressively.

Strain before serving.

It gives you a simple warm spiced drink without needing powdered spice floating through the glass.

Beyond Mulled Wine

Once you've opened the pack, try Cinnamon Quills in:

• Indian curries
• Moroccan-style tagines
• Beef stews
• Basmati rice
• Pilaf
• Chicken broth
• Pho-style broths
• Mulled wine
• Mulled cider
• Apple juice
• Poached pears
• Stewed apples
• Compotes
• Pickling brines
• Chutneys
• Spiced syrups
• Hot chocolate infusions
• Tea

Cinnamon Quills are particularly useful when you want the flavour of cinnamon without leaving ground cinnamon behind in the finished dish.

Important

Add whole Cinnamon Quills during cooking to allow the flavour to infuse.

Remove them before serving, as the bark remains hard and fibrous.

Storage

Store Cinnamon Quills in an airtight container in a cool, dark and dry place to help preserve their fragrance.