It is one of the South American trees with a cinnamon-like aroma and is used as a spice called ispinku in Southern Quechua[1] or ishpinku in Kichwa (Hispanicized spellings ishpingo, eshpingo).

[6] The taste of Ecuadorian cinnamon is thought to come from the presence of methyl cinnamate and trans-cinnamaldehyde which are also found in the essential oils which come from the flower calices of the plant.

Some reports show it has been used as a flavouring since Incaic times, and modern Ecuadorians still use this spice during general cooking and the production of food for rituals.

These include food such as colada morada (purple pudding) and beverages such as the alcoholic drink alajua, both of which require the use of ispinku as a key ingredient.

[2] The oils have previously been used in the traditional medicine of some Amazonian tribes for their anti-inflammatory properties and some peer-reviewed data also support this theory.