Abstract:
Cinnamon has been used by humans for thousands of years- as early as 3,000 B.C.
Despite of its exotic, distant origin, cinnamon was known and widely used in the
ancient world. The Arabs were the first to introduce it to the west and dominated the
trade for centuries via their network of trading routes that went as far as China. Their
account of where and how cinnamon was obtained proves that exaggerated
marketing techniques were not invented in the past. In spite of its widespread use,
the origins of cinnamon was the Arab merchants‟ best-kept secret until the early 10th
century. To maintain their monopoly on cinnamon trade and justify its exorbitant
price, Arab traders' interlaced colorful stories for their buyers about where and how
they obtained the luxurious spice. Therefore, they furnished details on the origin of
cinnamon which were not true. Many scholars believe that cinnamon was brought
from Sri Lanka during that period and it needs to be investigated.
