cassia bark

7.6

Bark from a tree used as a spice that smells like cinnamon and tastes stronger

noun
/ˈkæʃə bɑrk/

: corteza de cásia

Many commercial ground cinnamons contain cassia bark instead of true cinnamon.

Examples

The chef preferred using Ceylon cinnamon over cassia bark for its milder flavor.
In traditional Chinese medicine, cassia bark is used for its warming properties.
I love the flavor of cassia bark in my chai tea.
Have you ever tried cassia bark in your cooking?
In traditional Chinese medicine, cassia bark is valued for its warming properties and distinct aroma.
Many commercial ground cinnamons contain cassia bark, which is less expensive than true cinnamon.
I love the rich flavor that cassia bark adds to my homemade chai tea.

Synonyms

cinnamon

vscassia bark

116 1.1

A sweet-smelling brown spice made from the dried bark of a tree used to flavor food and drinks

is the more specific bark variety often seen as lower quality

cinnamon bark

vscassia bark

1 3.0

Dried tree bark with a warm, sweet smell used as a cooking spice

is the specific type commonly regarded as lower quality compared to the true form

Chinese cinnamon

vscassia bark

4.3

A spice made from the bark of the cassia tree with a strong, warm flavor

is the same bark but seen as slightly lower quality than the true form

Saigon cinnamon

vscassia bark

7.0

A Southeast Asian tree with strong, sweet bark used as a spice and in traditional medicine

is used mainly for cooking and is often judged lower in value

Surface Forms

cassia bark singular

cassia barks plural

Morphology

cassia + bark

The phrase refers simply to the bark of the cassia tree and this meaning is directly compositional from 'cassia' (the tree species) + 'bark' (the tree's outer covering), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes the spice derived from that tree's bark. The compositional noun+noun pattern is common cross-linguistically, so its referential meaning is transparent to a B1 learner (though finer evaluative nuance like "less desirable than true cinnamon" might require extra knowledge).

Etymology

Cassia bark is the dried outer layer (bark) of the cassia tree and has a cinnamon-like smell and taste. Because it was cheaper and more common than true cinnamon, cassia bark came to mean the less expensive 'cinnamon' used in many shops.