M4 Ceylon Cinnamon Quills — 50g Resealable Pouch
- Grade
- M4
- Form
- Whole quills
- Pack
- 50g · Resealable pouch
- Minimum
- 5 units
$4.29
M4 Ceylon Cinnamon Quills — 100g Resealable Pouch
$6.49
100g · Resealable pouch
Minimum order: 5 units
Also available in
About this grade
What M4 means under SLS 81:2021
M4 is a Mexican grade permitting quills up to 21 mm in diameter, with a minimum of 15 whole quills per kilogram. Mexican grades are graded primarily on size: the standard permits up to 60% foxing, against 15% for C4.
These are the largest quills stocked here and the most economical per kilogram. The higher permitted foxing is a surface characteristic, not a species or purity difference - this is the same Cinnamomum verum bark as every other grade.
C4 is narrower at 16 mm and held to a 15% foxing limit; the Hamburg grades above M4 run wider still, to 38 mm at H3.
Every grade in the standard is the same species, Cinnamomum verum, grown and hand-rolled in Sri Lanka. Compare all thirteen grades side by side in the grade guide, or read how the quills are made in how Ceylon cinnamon is made.
Common questions
M4 is a grade defined by SLS 81:2021, the Sri Lanka Standard for Ceylon cinnamon. It sets a maximum quill diameter of 21 mm, a minimum of 15 whole quills per kilogram, and a maximum of 60% foxing. Mexican grades (the "M" series) are graded on size rather than surface appearance - the standard permits up to 60% foxing, far more than the Continental grades.
Not in the sense buyers usually mean. Every grade in the standard is the same species, Cinnamomum verum, from the same bark, and all of it is sold as cinnamon sticks. Grade describes the physical dimensions of the quill and its surface appearance - not purity, potency or origin. A narrower grade costs more because more peeling and rolling work goes into each kilogram, not because the cinnamon itself is different.
Usually not. Most supermarket cinnamon is cassia (Cinnamomum cassia or related species), a different plant with a single thick, hard layer of bark. Ceylon cinnamon is Cinnamomum verum, and its quills are formed from many thin layers of inner bark rolled together - which is why they are brittle and can be crushed by hand.
Keep the quills whole, in an airtight container, away from light, heat and moisture. Whole quills hold their aromatic oils far longer than ground cinnamon, so grinding only what is needed preserves aroma. Do not refrigerate - condensation is the main risk to dried bark.
