The cinnamon I actually use

In the cupboard a jar of cinnamon — the lid isn’t from this year, but the scent is still there. You can buy another “for Christmas buns someday”. Then that one fades too, and I reach for whichever is nearer. I keep one I actually cook with: a pinch, not a lecture on spices.

The cinnamon I actually use. Into porridge in the morning — on the tip of a knife. Over an apple in the oven — a little on top. Sometimes into a stew or with meat — very little, for warmth, not to make it smell like a bakery. Paprika by the pan, bay leaves that go in and come out again, dried herbs when the fresh ones run out — those are other notes. This one is only about cinnamon and a small pinch.

I smell it: if it’s just dust with no scent, I don’t try to be a hero — I buy a small new jar. I don’t heap it into porridge, or it turns bitter and gritty on the teeth. I don’t collect three jars “Ceylon / cassia / for guests”. One open jar that we actually use this week.

I don’t need a relic jar for a spice-shelf photo. I need a pinch that makes porridge or apple smell of warmth. In your house, does cinnamon go into porridge and apples — or sit on the shelf until it fades to dust?