YOU DON'T NEED A CRYSTAL BALL TO SEE WHAT |
THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR CINNAMON... |
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> Prices have already begun to rise steadily (reflecting the diminishing availability of barks being offered) – HIGH QUALITY Cinnamon will become scarce faster than the low quality bark from younger trees
> An ever increasing world wide demand for Cinnamon (currently averaging 20-25 metric tons annually) |
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> The drastic reduction of trees being replanted after harvest – means it wont be long before shortage of raw material available at origin reaches a crisis level
>This in turn will cause a sharp spike in prices across the board… the unavoidable rule of Supply & Demand
> To make matters worse, you must consider that even when prices finally reach a level that is profitable enough to entice farmers back to planting and harvesting Cinnamon again, it will take many years to get back up to the point where the trees are at a suitable age for harvesting high quality Cinnamon (maybe as long as 10-15 years!)
Profit potential is the only consideration for the farmers in Korintji. They will not consider to resume replenishing/replanting Cinnamon trees again until the cost for their harvest increases to a level that makes sense for them financially.
Tripper has already begun to increase prices on all Cinnamon products in an effort to keep up with rising cost of raw material. No sudden/drastic increases are expected in 2010 however. It is also important to keep in mind that the fluctuating currency exchange rates we’ve experienced over the last 6-8 months also have a significant effect on the price of goods exported from Indonesia. |
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INDONESIA – APRIL 2010 – FACTS & FIGURES |
First Quarter 2010 showing some solid numbers.
With low interest rates and rising per capita income, domestic consumption has been strong during the first quarter of 2010 ; the economic growth is still expected to be between 5.5 and 6 % for 2010 with inflation reaching a maximum of 6 %.
These good indicators mean that more and more foreigners decide to invest money in Indonesia in stocks, bonds or by creating their own company. One major actor here is China, which is heavily investing in Indonesia to secure mineral resources (oil, gas, …).
All this leads to an appreciation of the local Rupiah currency. Just 15 months ago 1 US$ would trade at 11,500 Rupiah. Today you get 9,000 Rupiah for the same dollar …
The Indonesian government is so far not taking any actions to curb this appreciation. Most Indonesian exports are commodity related (Crude Palm Oil, Rubber, Coffee, Coal, …) with decent profit margins able to withstand stronger currency. The risk lies mainly with non commodity exporters ( such as garments , electronics, footwear, …) where competition from China and other Asian countries is fierce and where a strong Rupiah increases the cost of goods manufactured and reduces the competitiveness.
So far the Rupiah is expected to hover between 8,800 and 9,300 in 2010. |
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RECIPE :CINNAMON PUMPKIN SCONES |
Ingredients |
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp Elephant Ginger ground
- ½ tsp allspice
- 3 tsp Dragon Cinnamon ground |
- 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp Gorilla Cloves ground
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten |
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 2 cups golden raisins
- 3 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp Dragon Cinnamon ground |
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Directions |
Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚ C). Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. In a large bowl, stir together all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder and baking soda. Mix in Elephant Ginger, allspice, Dragon Cinnamon, Gorilla Cloves, and salt. Set aside. In a separate large bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Mix in applesauce, then slowly stir in 2 ¼ cups sugar until well blended. Mix in the eggs and pumpkin. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Then stir in pecans and raisins. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between scones. Flatten scones with the back of the spoon. In a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of sugar and Dragon Cinnamon, and sprinkle on top of the scones. Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove and let cool on cookie sheets 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. |
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Cinnamon barks are graded largely on the essential volatile oil content (principal component of which is cinnamic aldehyde) -- determined by steam volatile oil distillation. The higher the oil content, the more intensive the aroma and flavor. Although a higher VO content is indicative of a higher quality cinnamon product, the commercial baker must consider his specific needs. Ie; For certain purposes, it may be desirable to give a baked product high cinnamon coloring but only a relatively mild cinnamon flavoring. In this case, the buyer would look for a rich colored cinnamon (cassia) with a moderate oil content, or perhaps a cinnamon blend (in which two or more grades are mixed to give a desired performance).
As with most things in life… you get what you pay for – if it seems “too good to be true”, then it probably is! The higher grade cinnamon, with a more intensive flavor – (2.5%+VO content) -- and the blends using premium grade raw material are always going to command the greater price. It’s as simple as that. At the same time, the top grades can often prove to be the most economical flavoring to use in a recipe /formulation in the long run, since their greater strength intense flavor (& fragrance) may allow you to use a proportionately smaller quantity. |
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Storage & Handling of Cinnamon |
Cinnamon should be stored in a cool, dry place.
Excessive heat will volatilize and dissipate its aromatic essential oils, and high humidity can cause caking.
Date containers when they arrive, so that older stock will be used first.
Store off the floor and away from outside walls to minimize dampness.
Make it a hard and fast rule that all spice containers be tightly closed after each use, because prolonged exposure to the air can also cause loss of flavor and aroma. Under good storage conditions, the qualities of aroma and flavor for which cinnamon is prized will be well retained.
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TRIPPER NEWSLETTER/Issue 5/April 2010/Pg2 of 2 |
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