The Treasure of Vietnam
Cinnamon, also known as cassia, is one of the 130 medicinal herbs mentioned in the ancient Chinese book “Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing”. Cinnamon is one of the earliest spices used by humans and is also a well-known herbal medicine.
The cinnamon tree is a treasure trove with many uses. The bark can be used as a spice, the leaves can be extracted for essential oil, and the trunk can be used as firewood, but the most commonly used part in daily life is the cinnamon bark.
According to the famous health website Proactive Health (USA), cinnamon was rare and valuable in ancient Egypt to the extent that it was considered a gift to be offered to kings.
During the time of the Roman Empire, it was used for medicinal purposes or distilled into perfume. In the Middle Ages, cinnamon was used in cooking.
In China, cinnamon is considered one of the top-ranking spices. Ancient Chinese people conducted research on using cinnamon to enhance the flavor of wine.
Cinnamon has many uses in daily life. Photo: worldatlas.com
According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (UK), cinnamon was once more valuable than gold. It was the most profitable spice traded by the Dutch East India Company.
In 2022, DutchReview reported that the company, founded in 1602, was valued at $78 million, equivalent to $7.9 trillion today. This made the Dutch East India Company worth more than Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon combined.
In most countries around the world, cinnamon is considered one of the important medicinal herbs with beneficial effects on health.
Chinese legends tell the story of Xiàng Tú, one of the Four Great Beauties of ancient China, who used cinnamon to treat throat pain.
In traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon is not only a fragrant spice but also a warm herb to supplement Yang energy.
Nowadays, we prefer to eat cold food, live long hours in air-conditioned rooms, have little physical activity, and stay up late regularly, leading to the depletion of Yang energy. Consuming a reasonable amount of cinnamon every day can help promote the development of Yang energy in the organs.
Vietnam – a “Treasure Trove”
Currently, besides China and Indonesia, Vietnam is one of the leading producers and exporters of cinnamon in the world.
According to VTV, at the Sustainable Development Workshop for Vietnam’s cinnamon industry in 2023, Deputy Director of the Forestry Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Trieu Van Luc, stated that Vietnam ranks third globally in terms of cinnamon cultivation area, with 180,000 hectares.
According to the January 2024 report of the Vietnam Pepper Association, in 2023, Vietnam exported 89,383 tons of cinnamon, with a total export value of $260.9 million, an increase of 14.6% in volume but a decrease of 10.7% in value compared to 2022.
The average export price of cinnamon in 2023 reached $2,918 per ton, a 22.1% decrease compared to 2022.
India is the main export market for Vietnamese cinnamon, accounting for 42.6% with 38,038 tons, an increase of 14.0% compared to the previous year.
The following markets are the United States, accounting for 11.4% with 10,163 tons, an increase of 7.0%; Bangladesh accounting for 6.2% with 5,564 tons, an increase of 32.1%…
Moreover, according to the 2022 statistics, Vietnam is the world’s leading cinnamon exporter with a total value of over $292 million.
Cong An Nhan Dan newspaper quoted Commercial Counselor, Commercial Office of Vietnam in India, Bui Trung Thuong, as saying that Vietnamese cinnamon is favored in India due to its good essential oil content and unique flavor.
Meanwhile, regarding the US market, Commercial Counselor, Commercial Office of Vietnam in the US, Do Ngoc Hung, shared that it is considered a potential market for Vietnamese cinnamon products. After the COVID-19 pandemic, American consumers tend to pay attention to products that enhance immunity and are easy to prepare at home. On the other hand, the demand for essential oils in this country is increasing, which makes Vietnamese cinnamon more popular.
Vietnamese cinnamon is favored in the Indian and US markets. Photo: CAND
However, according to Hoang Thi Lien, Chairman of the Vietnamese Pepper and Spice Association, the Vietnamese cinnamon industry still faces many difficulties, such as the lack of a strategic development orientation at the national level and the absence of mechanisms for conducting timely research to respond to market demands.
In particular, the quality of the cinnamon seedlings is still uncertain, which is the main reason why the production volume of Vietnamese cinnamon is much lower than the global yield, especially that of China.
Therefore, at the 2023 workshop, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development made some adjustments and development orientations for the cinnamon industry to bring about sustainable development in this sector.
