Kalliopi's KitchenYIAYIA'S GREEK FOOD RECIPES

Spices

Cinnamon

Κανέλα · Kanela

Cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon used in Greek cooking

Cinnamon's presence in savoury Greek cooking, most recognisably in the meat sauce under moussaka and pastitsio, is a detail that surprises people encountering the cuisine from outside it, since most Western food traditions keep cinnamon strictly on the dessert side of the kitchen. Greece, sitting on old Byzantine and later Ottoman trade routes that carried spices from further east, never drew that line as firmly.

A cinnamon stick, rather than ground cinnamon, is the more common form in a savoury braise, added whole to a simmering pot of stifado or a tomato sauce and fished back out before serving, in the same way a bay leaf is. Ground cinnamon is reserved more for baking, where Christmas cookies and syrup-soaked cakes use it generously.

The quantity in a savoury dish is meant to be a background warmth rather than a dominant flavour, present enough that its absence would be noticed but not so much that the dish tastes sweet. Getting that balance right is one of the more common places a home cook either undersells or oversells a classic Greek braise.

Photo: Ceylon Cinnamon sticks.jpg by NanaYawBotar, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recipes with cinnamon

49 recipes on the site using it.

A tray of Greek moussaka with a browned bechamel top, one square lifted out Greek Main CoursesGreek Moussaka Μουσακάς · 1h 55m · serves 8 A slice of pastitsio showing distinct layers of pasta, meat sauce and golden bechamel Greek Main CoursesGreek Pastitsio Παστίτσιο · 1h 40m · serves 8 Diamond-cut baklava pieces glossy with honey syrup, studded with walnuts and a clove Greek DessertsGreek Baklava Μπακλαβάς · 1h 45m · serves 24 A bowl of golden loukoumades glossy with honey, dusted with cinnamon and chopped walnuts Greek DessertsLoukoumades Λουκουμάδες · 45m · serves 6 A square of galaktoboureko showing thick yellow custard between crisp golden phyllo Greek DessertsGalaktoboureko Γαλακτομπούρεκο · 1h 30m · serves 12 Oval honey-soaked Greek Christmas cookies topped with chopped walnuts Greek DessertsMelomakarona Μελομακάρονα · 1h 5m · serves 30 Squares of bougatsa custard pastry dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon Greek Breakfast RecipesBougatsa Μπουγάτσα · 1h 10m · serves 8 A pot of Greek beef stifado with whole small onions in a dark cinnamon-spiced sauce Greek Main CoursesGreek Stifado Στιφάδο · 3h · serves 6 Grilled Cypriot sheftalia sausages wrapped in caul fat with charred edges Greek Main CoursesSheftalia Σεφταλιά · 45m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesTavas Ταβάς · 2h 55m · serves 6 Golden fried Cypriot koupes bulgur shells on a plate with lemon Greek Meze and AppetisersKoupes Κούπες · 1h 40m · serves 8 A tray of Cypriot baked macaroni with a golden halloumi topping Greek Main CoursesMakaronia tou Fournou Μακαρόνια του φούρνου · 1h 35m · serves 8 A golden spiral tahinopita bread dusted with sesame seeds Greek Breads and PiesTahinopita Ταχινόπιτα · 1h 10m · serves 8 Greek Main CoursesPastitsada Παστιτσάδα · 3h · serves 6 Greek giouvetsi baked beef and orzo in a clay dish Greek Main CoursesGiouvetsi Γιουβέτσι · 2h 55m · serves 6 Curled crisp Greek diples pastry ribbons drenched in honey and walnuts Greek DessertsDiples Δίπλες · 1h 15m · serves 10 A slice of Greek karydopita walnut syrup cake on a plate Greek DessertsKarydopita Καρυδόπιτα · 1h 5m · serves 12 A tray of Greek portokalopita orange phyllo cake soaked in syrup Greek DessertsPortokalopita Πορτοκαλόπιτα · 1h 15m · serves 15 Golden Cretan kalitsounia cheese hand pies drizzled with honey Greek DessertsKalitsounia Καλιτσούνια · 1h 10m · serves 8 A sliced Greek fanouropita spice cake, dusted with cinnamon Greek DessertsFanouropita Φανουρόπιτα · 1h 5m · serves 12 Diamond-cut pieces of Rhodes melekouni sesame honey sweet Greek DessertsMelekouni Μελεκούνι · 40m · serves 16 A pot of Greek rakomelo, warm spiced raki with honey Greek DrinksRakomelo Ρακόμελο · 13m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesHtapodi Krasato Χταπόδι κρασάτο · 1h 35m · serves 4 Greek Meze and AppetisersLouza Tinou Λούζα Τήνου · 30m · serves 10 Kefalonia kreatopita meat pie in golden phyllo, sliced Greek Breads and PiesKefalonitiki Kreatopita Κεφαλονίτικη κρεατόπιτα · 2h · serves 8 Greek Main CoursesPapoutsakia Παπουτσάκια · 1h 30m · serves 6 A stack of Greek tiganites pancakes drizzled with honey and walnuts Greek Breakfast RecipesTiganites me Meli Τηγανίτες με μέλι · 35m · serves 4 Golden Greek frigania fried bread slices drizzled with honey Greek Breakfast RecipesFrigania Φρυγανιά · 22m · serves 4 A pot of Greek arni kokkinisto lamb braised in red tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesArni Kokkinisto Αρνί κοκκινιστό · 2h 5m · serves 6 A slice of Greek milopita apple phyllo pie showing layered crisp pastry Greek DessertsMilopita Μηλόπιτα · 1h 20m · serves 10 A whole roasted Greek galopoula turkey stuffed with chestnut rice filling Greek Main CoursesGalopoula Gemisti me Kastana Γαλοπούλα γεμιστή με κάστανα · 5h · serves 12 Greek Main CoursesKouneli Stifado Κουνέλι στιφάδο · 2h · serves 6 A plate of Greek ladokouloura olive oil cookies dusted with sugar Greek DessertsLadokouloura Λαδοκούλουρα · 50m · serves 10 A tray of Greek halvas simigdalenios semolina halva with cinnamon and walnuts Greek DessertsHalvas Simigdalenios Χαλβάς σιμιγδαλένιος · 40m · serves 10 Greek DessertsKarydaki Glyko Καρυδάκι γλυκό · 3h · serves 16 Greek DessertsMelopita Sifnou Μελόπιτα Σίφνου · 55m · serves 8 Greek Meze and AppetisersBourekakia me Kima Μπουρεκάκια με κιμά · 1h 20m · serves 8 A round Greek Christopsomo Christmas bread with a decorative dough cross Greek Breads and PiesChristopsomo Χριστόψωμο · 1h 45m · serves 12 Greek Breakfast RecipesTrahanas me Gala Τραχανάς με γάλα · 17m · serves 2 A tray of Greek moustokouloura grape must ring cookies Greek DessertsMoustokouloura Μουστοκούλουρα · 50m · serves 16 A slice of Greek galatopita custard pie dusted with cinnamon Greek DessertsGalatopita Γαλατόπιτα · 1h · serves 8 A bowl of Greek rizogalo rice pudding dusted with cinnamon Greek DessertsRizogalo Ρυζόγαλο · 50m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesMoschari Kokkinisto Μοσχάρι κοκκινιστό · 2h 35m · serves 6 A dish of Greek kotopoulo giouvetsi chicken and orzo in tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesKotopoulo Giouvetsi Κοτόπουλο γιουβέτσι · 1h 20m · serves 4 Greek DessertsKollyva Κόλλυβα · 2h 15m · serves 20 Greek Main CoursesKokoras Pastitsada Κόκορας παστιτσάδα · 3h · serves 6 Strings of Greek soutzouki walnut and grape must candy hanging to set Greek DessertsSoutzouki Σουτζούκι · 2h · serves 10 Greek Main CoursesArnisio Kapama Αρνίσιο καπαμά · 2h 25m · serves 6 A tray of Greek kataifi shredded pastry and walnut rolls in syrup Greek DessertsKataifi Κανταΐφι · 1h 15m · serves 12

More spices

ClovesMasticMahlepiCumin