Yes, you technically can eat a cinnamon stick, but it is not recommended. Cinnamon sticks are very hard, pose a choking risk, can irritate your mouth and throat, and may upset your stomach if you chew and swallow pieces.
Safety and health concerns
Cinnamon sticks are made of dense, woody bark that is difficult to chew and can splinter, creating a risk of choking or scratching the mouth, throat, or esophagus. Large, insoluble bark fragments are also hard for the digestive system to handle and can cause discomfort or, in extreme cases, blockage.
Most common “cassia” cinnamon contains coumarin, a natural compound that can be harmful to the liver in high or frequent doses, so regularly chewing whole sticks is discouraged, especially for people with liver disease, those on certain medications, or during pregnancy.
Better ways to use cinnamon sticks
Cinnamon sticks are meant to be used to flavor foods and drinks and then removed, not eaten whole. They are commonly simmered in liquids like tea, mulled wine, or stews, then taken out before serving so only the flavor is consumed.
For actually eating cinnamon, it is much safer to use ground cinnamon (preferably Ceylon cinnamon, which is lower in coumarin) in small, culinary amounts in baking, drinks, or sprinkled on foods.
