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The Merchant · The House SelectionStudy 02 / Ceylon Cinnamon
The Merchant C5 Ceylon cinnamon in an amber glass jar
Fig. 02C5 · The Merchant’s House Selection
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An examination of presence / No. 02

C5The Refined.

A fuller quill with a more enduring warmth.

C5 belongs to the Continental family of Ceylon cinnamon. The C denotes Continental; 5 is its grade designation. Regular C5 has a broader quill than Alba while remaining the same species, Cinnamomum verum.

≤12mmMaximum quill diameter
Regular Continental C5
Examine the quill

The grade · examined

What makes C5 distinct.

The difference is one of grade and form, not species. C5 is broader than Alba and carries The Merchant’s more expressive cinnamon character.

Plate IIIA study of the quill
Illustrative study of a hand-rolled C5 cinnamon quillA brown pencil study of a broader layered quill, with its rolled end and diameter annotation. The drawing is not to scale.A / INNER BARKB / ROLLED ENDHAND-ROLLED≤ 12 MM
Illustrative study / not to scale
01

The designation

C stands for Continental, the grading family. Regular C5 is distinct from C5 Special and C5 Extra Special.

02

Diameter

No more than 12 mm across.

03

Quill count

At least 27 standard 42-inch quills per kilogram, compared with 45 for Alba. These counts refer to full-length export quills, not pieces in a retail jar.

04

Foxing

Up to 15% in the grade reference. Foxing means reddish-brown patches on a quill’s surface. It is an appearance allowance, not a description of every quill.

05

Character

The Merchant selects C5 for a fuller cinnamon presence. Its more substantial quill is suited to handling, simmering, and considered packing.

Grade measurements: Sri Lanka Department of Cinnamon Development . Foxing definition: Sri Lankan cinnamon training standard .

Within the Continental family

Three C5 designations.

Extra Special and Special are narrower grading variations. The Merchant’s House Selection here is regular C5.

C5 grade reference measurements for standard whole quills
DesignationMaximum diameterMinimum 42-inch quills / kgMaximum foxing
C5 Extra Special8 mm3310%
C5 Special10 mm3010%
C5 The Merchant’s selection12 mm2715%

The figures describe grading references for full-length quills; they are not a count of pieces in a retail jar.

The hand behind the quill

Substance, shaped by hand.

C5’s broader form begins with the same patient work of peeling, layering, rolling, and drying inner bark. The Merchant chooses it for a composed quill and a cinnamon character that stays present.

A note for the kitchen

Where warmth holds.

Use C5 whole in slow infusions, simmered fruit, braises, and layered desserts. Its broader quill is more substantial to handle through cooking and careful retail packing, while its fuller aroma remains in the finished dish.

A personal introduction

For your kitchen.
For your table.

We welcome enquiries from chefs, hosts, and those choosing cinnamon for their own table.

Enquire about C5
Alba Ceylon cinnamon jarAlso in the House SelectionAlbaThe Rarest.Explore Alba →