Medieval Blogs

The criteria for being listed as a spice source on this page are a bit complicated. Of the spices commonly used in medieval European cooking, there are seven that are not usually found in local US grocery stores. If a spice merchant carries at least four of these seven spices then they will be added to the list.

The seven "Must Have" spices are:

ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
cubebs (Piper cubeba)
galingale (Alpinia officinarum)
grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta)
hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
saffron (Crocus sativus)
saunders / red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus)

(see the list of spice merchants included in this directory)

INDEX
A | B | C | D | G | H | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T

Cinnamon - Wikimedia Commons


Cinnamon Powder - MedievalCookery.com

Cinnamon

(Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cinnamomum verum)

Also known as: True Cinnamon, Ceylon Cinnamon

Available from:

Great American Spice Company (US)
Lhasa Karnak Herb Company (US)
Monterey Bay Spice Company (US)
Mountain Rose Herbs (US)
The Pepperer's Guild (US)
Whole Spice (US)

Herbie's Herbs (Canada)
Silk Road Spices (Canada)

Aromatiques Tropicales (France)

JustIngredients (UK)
Seasoned Pioneers (UK)
The Spice Shop (UK)
The Spicery (UK)
Steenbergs Organic (UK)

Notes:
In almost all medieval sources, it is impossible to tell if the spice being referred to is cinnamon or cassia.

Search: Find recipes that reference Cinnamon in medieval cookbooks.

INDEX
A | B | C | D | G | H | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T