Cinnamon sticks are flavorful and fun in mulled drinks and teas. (Serve each cup with its own cinnamon swirler.) Or combine them with allspice, cloves and ginger to make your own mulling spice.
Botanical name: Cinnamomum burmannii (Nees & T. Nees) Blume , Cinnamomum verum J. Presl , cinnamomum loureirii

Cinnamon - that most popular of spices - comes from the bark of an evergreen tree. Cinnamon's sweet, spicy and warm fragrance adds pungent sweetness to your favorite baked goodies. You can also use it to add a depth of flavor to savory dishes as well.

Though often used interchangeably, cassia and cinnamon are not the same. Cinnamomum cassia (grown primarily in China and Indonesia) is reddish-brown and pungently sweet, while Cinnamomum zeylanicum (from Sri Lanka and India) is buff-colored and mild. Cassia is usually preferred for its more intense color and flavor.

Korintji (thick quill cinnamon) and Batavia (thin quill cinnamon) are two types of C. cassia . Korintji comes from a higher altitude than the Batavian and has a slightly more intense reddish-brown color and sharp cinnamon flavor; it's considered the better variety. There are many species of cassia, including C. aromaticum (from China), C. burmannii (from Indonesia), and C. loureirii (from Vietnam or Saigon). True cinnamon, also known as Ceylon cinnamon, is obtained from C. verum, grown in Sri Lanka. It's tan and very mild.

Vietnamese (Cinnamomum loureirri)
Formally known as Saigon cinnamon, this special variety is rebounding in popularity in the U.S., following a more than 20-year absence. Compared to Indonesian types, Vietnamese cinnamon has a distinctly sweet flavor and an exceptionally high volatile oil content. Gourmet cooks rate it as the highest quality cinnamon in the world.

Chinese (Cinnamomum aromaticum)
Chinese cinnamon posseses characteristics similar to those of Vietnamese cinnamon, but with a less intense flavor.