Carolina Ingredients Blog

Cinnamon - The Winter Warming Spice

Posted on Aug 20, 2025

cinnamon, the perfect holiday warming spice

What Does Cinnamon Taste Like?

Cinnamon, also known as the winter spice, has a number of varieties with individual qualities based upon the species and origination. Many are warming while others impart a sharp pungency that builds quickly on the palate.

Types of Cinnamon

Roasted Cinnamon

Roasted cinnamon is a warm flavor, slightly sweet, and reminds you of pies baking in the oven or a warm slice of cinnamon crumb cake.

Hot Cinnamon

Hot cinnamon hits with bright heat and lingers on your tongue, much like movie theater candy.

Cinnamon Spice Blend

Cinnamon was our chosen featured winter flavor. We created 2 types of cinnamon and paired both of our innovative custom seasoning blends with popcorn, but this seasoning blend would be lovely in other applications such as in drinks, or modified to be a Mole Sauce.

Both are formulated without artificial color and are MSG free. Reach out to us at Carolina Ingredients and we can tailor these to your customer’s preference.

cinnamon spice

History of Cinnamon

Cinnamon was a highly prized and cherished spice throughout the Middle Ages. It was used in lover’s potions, perfumes for wealthy Romans, and to flavor wines. By the 1700s crops such as coffee, sugar, tea, and chocolate became the focus of cinnamon traders, the earliest spice distributors, throughout Europe, replacing traditional spices and crops.

How Carolina Ingredients Fits In

Carolina Ingredients specializes in custom seasoning blends that highlight trending flavors like cinnamon. From clean-label and organic seasonings to bold snack and beverage applications, our R&D team creates innovative blends tailored to your brand and today’s flavor trends.

The Delightful Winter Spice Syrup

Winter spice syrup is a delightful addition to various beverages, adding warmth and depth to cocktails, coffee, tea, and even desserts. Here's a simple recipe:

How to Make Winter Spice Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
4-5 whole star anise pods
1-2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
Peel from 1 orange or lemon (avoid the white pith)

Instructions:

Step 1.) In a saucepan, combine water and sugar over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.

Step 2.) Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise pods, black peppercorns, and citrus peel to the saucepan.

Step 3.) Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes to infuse the flavors into the syrup. Stir occasionally.

Step 4.) Once the syrup has simmered and the flavors have melded together, remove it from heat and let it cool to room temperature.

Step 5.) Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the spices and citrus peel.

Step 6.) Transfer the strained syrup into a clean, airtight container or bottle.

Note: You can store the winter spice syrup in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. Enjoy!

Tags: seasoning supplier, mole sauce, cinnamon spice, spice distributors, cinnamon flavor, industrial seasoning manufactuer, seasoning blend