Mist curled around my ankles as I trudged through the cinnamon forest of Xuan Ai at dawn. The air was crisp, carrying a scent sharp enough to ignite memories of when I was just a child, playing beneath the towering trees that we now call our ‘cay vang xanh’ — our green gold trees. Healthy cinnamon, that’s what we grow here, and today is a harvest day.
Why Is Our Cinnamon So Special?
Healthy cinnamon isn’t just a catchy phrase; it’s a way of life. It’s in our soil, enriched by decades of fallen leaves and nurtured by the mountain mists. It’s in the hands of my father, and his father before him, who taught us the land’s secrets. The Dao people, the original planters, imparted their wisdom, showing us how to harness the cool climate and fertile ground at altitudes ranging from 200 to 1000 meters. This creates a rich, full-bodied flavor that has become our signature.
How We Maintain Quality
You might wonder, what’s involved in keeping our cinnamon so healthy? It starts with years of nurturing — from year 1 through year 5, we carefully plant and tend to each seedling, ensuring that they grow strong. By years 8 to 10, the bark is ready, but we wait. Patience is a virtue here. At year 15 or 25, when the cinnamon bark holds 3-5% oil content, that’s when we strike gold. We harvest with a curved knife, peeling the bark while the sun kisses the mist away, drying it for 3-7 days on bamboo racks. Nothing goes to waste; every leaf, twig, and shard has its purpose. This isn’t just efficient, it ensures that every product from our Vietnamese cinnamon is as healthy as it can be.
5 Senses of Cinnamon Farming
Harvesting cinnamon is an experience for all the senses. The sight of sunbeams dancing through the leaves, the smell of fresh bark in the air, and the feel of rich soil slipping through my fingers. I hear the soft whispers of the wind through the branches and taste the sharp, spicy flavor that lingers in the air. It’s these moments that remind me why I do this, why we work so hard to ensure the health of our trees and the quality of our cinnamon.
Our Harvest Seasons: The Secret to Flavor
Spring, with its soft rains and gentle sun, gives us a milder harvest in February and March. Come autumn, August and September bring a bolder, more robust flavor as the oil content peaks. These contrasting harvests mean that our customers enjoy a range of flavors, each bottle and stick reflecting the seasons of Lao Cai. This commitment to seasonal quality defines our story and connects us directly to you, offering a product free from intermediaries, ensuring a fair price for us farmers and a superior quality product for you.
So when you hold a piece of our cinnamon, remember the misty mornings, the rich scent of the forest, and the passionate hands that brought it to life. Our healthy cinnamon isn’t just a spice; it’s a piece of our heritage, a shared history from the mountain slopes of Xuan Ai to your kitchen.