: In ancient Egypt, Rome, and medieval Europe, cinnamon was so rare and difficult to obtain that it often traded at prices higher than gold by weight.
For millennia, cinnamon was a symbol of extreme wealth and power: Chinnaman - Expensive
: To protect their monopolies and justify astronomical markups, Arab traders invented elaborate myths—such as stories of giant birds guarding the spice in remote nests—to keep its true origin in Sri Lanka a secret. Modern "Expensive" Cinnamon : In ancient Egypt, Rome, and medieval Europe,