Saigon Cinnamon substitute

Best substitute

Regular Ground Cinnamon (Cassia)

1.25 to 1.5:1

Best for baking

Close match

Standard supermarket ground cinnamon, which is nearly always one of the cassia species.

Other saigon cinnamon substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Cinnamon Sticks or Cassia Bark, for Broths
Different texture
Use 1 stick for every 1 tsp ground
Whole hard cassia quills, toasted dry then simmered.
What changes
Best for
pho, bo kho, braises, mulled drinks, poaching liquid
In a broth this is better than ground, not worse: it releases aroma slowly over a long simmer and does not cloud the liquid or leave grit. Toast the bark dry in the pot for 30 to 60 seconds first, which flips it from dusty to fragrant, then fish it out after an hour.
3Ceylon Cinnamon (True Cinnamon)
Different taste
about 2:1
Soft, crumbly, multi-layered quills from Sri Lanka, much paler than cassia.
What changes
Best for
delicate baking, custards, fruit desserts, tea
A genuinely different spice: floral, citrusy and elegant with no heat at all. A snickerdoodle made with Ceylon tastes refined and faint rather than punchy, and a pho broth loses its backbone entirely, because the peppery warmth that holds up against star anise simply is not there.
4Chinese Five-Spice Powder
Different taste
½ to ⅔ the amount, savory dishes only
A ground blend whose main component is cassia.
What changes
Best for
braises, pho, roast pork, marinades
Cassia is the base of the blend so the cinnamon note lands, but you also get star anise, clove, fennel and Sichuan pepper along with it. In a Vietnamese braise that is a bonus; in a cake or a cinnamon-sugar topping it is unmistakably wrong and tastes of licorice.
5Regular Cinnamon plus a Pinch of Cayenne or Ground Ginger
Close match
Use 1 tsp cinnamon plus a tiny pinch, for every 1 tsp Saigon
Ordinary cassia nudged toward Saigon's peppery heat.
What changes
Best for
cinnamon toast, snickerdoodles, horchata, coffee cake
It sounds strange but it works, because what separates Saigon cinnamon is that faint hot prickle at the back of the throat. Use a genuinely tiny pinch, well under an eighth of a teaspoon per teaspoon, or the bake tastes spicy rather than warm.
6The honest answer for simple bakes
Close match
What to expect when cinnamon is the only flavor in the recipe.
What changes
Best for
cinnamon toast, snickerdoodles, horchata, cinnamon ice cream
For pho, cinnamon is one of five aromatics and any cassia is fine. But in a recipe where cinnamon is basically the only flavor, the difference between Saigon and supermarket cassia is real and noticeable, and nothing tastes more like Saigon cinnamon than more cinnamon. Use it generously and accept a softer version.

What is Saigon Cinnamon?

Saigon Cinnamon is A variety of cassia bark, Cinnamomum loureiroi, also sold as Vietnamese cinnamon or que, with an unusually high volatile oil content that makes it the hottest and sweetest smelling of the common cinnamons.

Cooking tips

Cassia sticks, Saigon included, are hard single-curl bark. They will not grind in a mortar and will ruin a cheap blade grinder, so buy ground for baking, or smash the stick in a bag with a rolling pin for broths.
If you have Ceylon quills and a recipe wants Saigon, Ceylon is at least the one that grinds easily; it crumbles between your fingers. Use twice as much and expect a gentler result.
Toast the bark dry in the pot for half a minute before liquid goes in for pho or bo kho. It changes the aroma from dusty to fragrant, and the same trick partly revives tired ground cinnamon in a savory dish.
Ground cinnamon of any variety fades within about a year. If yours smells of dust rather than making your nose tingle, no amount of substitution advice helps and a fresh jar is the real fix.
Cassia, including Saigon, contains far more coumarin than Ceylon does. For normal recipe amounts this makes no practical difference, but if you cook with very large quantities of cinnamon every day, Ceylon is the type usually recommended.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just use regular cinnamon instead of Saigon cinnamon?

Yes, and it is what most people should do. Supermarket ground cinnamon is nearly always cassia, the same broad type, just with less volatile oil. Use about 1.25 to 1.5 times the amount the recipe calls for and the result will be very close, if slightly softer and less hot.

Is Saigon cinnamon the same as cassia?

Saigon cinnamon is one specific variety of cassia, Cinnamomum loureiroi, and it happens to be the strongest of them. The cinnamon in an ordinary supermarket jar is usually Chinese or Indonesian cassia, which is the same family but milder. So Saigon is cassia, but not all cassia is Saigon.

What is the difference between Ceylon and cassia cinnamon?

Cassia, which includes Saigon, runs roughly 3 to 6 percent cinnamaldehyde and tastes hot, sweet and assertive, with hard thick bark. Ceylon runs closer to 1 to 2 percent and tastes floral, citrusy and delicate, with soft crumbly quills. Swapping Ceylon for Saigon in a spice-forward recipe is the most noticeable cinnamon substitution you can make.

Can I leave the cinnamon out of pho?

You can, and the broth will still be good, but it will taste flatter and slightly thin. Star anise and cloves carry most of the load, and cinnamon is what fills the space between them. If you have any cassia stick at all, even an old one, toast it and use it rather than skipping.

Is Vietnamese cinnamon the same as Saigon cinnamon?

Yes, they are the same thing, and que is the Vietnamese word for it. You will also see it labelled Vietnamese cassia. If a recipe asks for any of those names, one jar covers all of them, which is worth knowing before you buy a second jar by mistake.

Related substitutes

More spices & herbs substitutes

Saigon Cinnamon substitute

Other saigon cinnamon substitutes

2Cinnamon Sticks or Cassia Bark, for Broths

3Ceylon Cinnamon (True Cinnamon)

4Chinese Five-Spice Powder

5Regular Cinnamon plus a Pinch of Cayenne or Ground Ginger

6The honest answer for simple bakes