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Cinnamon
is harvested by growing the tree for two years then coppicing it. The
next year, about a dozen shoots will form from the roots.
The branches harvested this way are processed by scraping off the
outer bark, then beating the branch evenly with a hammer to loosen the
inner bark. The inner bark is then prised out in long rolls. Only the
thin (0.5 mm (0.020 in)) inner bark is used; the outer, woody portion is
discarded, leaving metre-long cinnamon strips that curl into rolls
("quills") on drying. Once dry, the bark is cut into 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9
in) lengths for sale.
The bark must be processed immediately after harvesting while still
wet. Once processed, the bark will dry completely in four to six hours,
provided that it is in a well-ventilated and relatively warm
environment. A less than ideal drying environment encourages the
proliferation of pests in the bark, which may then require treatment by
fumigation. Bark treated this way is not considered to be of the same
premium quality as untreated bark.
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