Cinnamon, one of the oldest known spices, is native to Sri Lanka where it thrives in the hot moist climate. Cinnamon comes from the bark of an evergreen laurel tree that has shiny leaves, yellowish white flowers and dark blue berries. It grows to 33 feet in the wild and likes sandy soil. The longest and best pieces of the bark are hand rolled and dried into quills. When they reach the right moisture they are tan in color, smooth, thin and brittle.
Most cinnamon is powdered and used in cooking.
Cinnamon is naturally sweet with a delightfully spicy, woody fragrance due to the essential oils found in its bark. And its taste is intense and warm. Echinacea is a popular herb derived from the purple coneflower, a plant native to North America. Over the past 50 years hundreds of published research papers and studies have proven echinacea to be a powerful immune system stimulant. It is taken to prevent the onset of cold and flu symptoms and for eliminating chronic respiratory infections.