Cassia bark, whole
Often confused with cinnamon, cassia has a stronger aroma and flavour and is often used in baking and sweets.
Cassia bark will keep for up to two years if stored out of sunlight. Once ground, however, Cassia will quickly lose the top-note aromas through evaporation, so always grind it for immediate use. It has a strong "cinnamon" smell (more so than cinnamon) so is excellent in all kinds of baking, or used whole when stewing fruit or in making mulled wine.