The Spice Trade: How Cinnamon Changed the World

The Spice That Changed History: Cinnamon and the Rise of Global Trade

Before sugar ruled dessert, cinnamon ruled the world.

Warm, fragrant, and mysterious, cinnamon has been one of the most coveted spices in human history. Once worth more than gold, this humble bark helped spark global exploration, ignite wars, and build empires, all while quietly flavoring everything from ancient perfumes to modern pastries.

In this post, we trace cinnamon’s journey from sacred ancient offering to global kitchen staple, and how its story is connected from power, mystery, and the first sparks of globalization.

🌿 Ancient Egypt: Cinnamon for the Gods and the Dead

The earliest written record of cinnamon dates back to around 2000 BCE in Egypt. But Egyptians didn’t just cook with it, they embalmed their dead in it.

Used in mummification rituals and temple incense, cinnamon was believed to purify the body and soul. It was so rare that it was reserved for royalty and sacred ceremonies. The Egyptians imported it through complicated trade routes that passed through Arabia, Ethiopia, and South Asia. They guarded its source closely.

In fact, for centuries, the origin of cinnamon was a tightly kept secret.

🛶 Arab Traders and the Cinnamon Myth

Arab traders played a brilliant long game with cinnamon. To keep prices high and their monopoly intact, they created elaborate myths about where cinnamon came from. One of the most famous?

That cinnamon grew in the nests of giant birds on inaccessible cliffs and could only be harvested by tricking the birds into leaving.

These legends weren’t just fanciful. They were deliberate misinformation campaigns to control the cinnamon supply and obscure its true source: Sri Lanka.

The spice’s scarcity and mystery only made it more desirable.

🗺️ The Age of Exploration: Cinnamon Sparks a Race

By the 15th century, European demand for cinnamon (and other Eastern spices like cloves and nutmeg) had exploded. Portuguese and Spanish explorers launched global voyages not for gold, but for spices.

When the Portuguese finally reached Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) in 1505, they discovered forests of wild cinnamon and quickly sought to control them. For nearly a century, they held a brutal monopoly, using force to extract cinnamon bark and enslaving native populations to harvest it.

Later, the Dutch and then the British would take over. Wars were fought. Fortunes made. Empires rose. All because the Western world couldn’t get enough of that warm, woody sweetness.

🍰 Cinnamon Moves Into the Kitchen

At first, cinnamon remained a luxury only available to the rich and powerful. Kings flavored their wine with it, and nobles added it to stews and desserts. It was believed to cure colds, improve digestion, and even boost passion.

But by the 18th and 19th centuries, cinnamon became more widely available. As trade routes opened and plantations expanded, the spice moved from palaces to middle-class kitchens. Recipes began to evolve, spiced cakes, cinnamon rolls, and puddings took root across Europe and the Americas.

Today, most of the “cinnamon” in American kitchens is cassia. It’s a similar, but stronger cousin to true Ceylon cinnamon. Still, its warm aroma immediately calls to mind comfort, tradition, and sweetness.

✨ The Legacy of a Spice That Tasted Like Power

Few ingredients in your pantry have a resume like cinnamon’s: embalmer of pharaohs, spark for world-changing exploration, fuel for colonial expansion and now, the star of your morning French toast.

It’s a reminder that flavor isn’t just flavor. It’s history. It’s trade. It’s struggle and story and evolution.

And at Arts N’ Blends, we celebrate that legacy with our Cinnabun Dry Mix a tribute to cinnamon’s long, storied past made simple for today’s kitchen. No wars needed.