Cassis vs. Cassia — What's the Difference?

Cassis (French pronunciation: ​[kasi]; Occitan: Cassís) is a commune situated east of Marseille in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, whose coastline is known in English as the French Riviera, in Southern France. In 2016, it had a population of 7,265.

Any of various chiefly tropical or subtropical trees, shrubs, or herbs of the genus Cassia in the pea family, having pinnately compound leaves, usually yellow flowers, and long, flat or cylindrical pods.

A syrupy blackcurrant liqueur produced mainly in Burgundy.

A tropical evergreen tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum syn. C. cassia) of East and Southeast Asia, having aromatic inner bark.

A wine produced in the region of Cassis, a small town near Marseilles.

The bark of this tree, often ground and used as a spice. It is the chief source of cinnamon in the United States.

A syrup made from black currants.

(uncountable) The spice made from the bark of members of the genus Cinnamomum other than true cinnamon (C. verum), when they are distinguished from cinnamon.

Crème de cassis.

(countable) Such trees themselves, particularly the Chinese cinnamon, Cinnamomum cassia.

The blackcurrant plant, Ribes nigrum; the flavor of its berries

(countable) Any of several tropical leguminous plants, of the genus Cassia.

A liqueur made from these berries, especially crème de cassis.

(countable) Any of several tropical leguminous plants, of the genus Senna.

(chiefly US) A wine flavor note, suggesting the fruity and full-bodied characteristics of the fruit; mostly referred to as simply blackcurrant in the UK, where the fruit is common.

(countable, mistranslation from Chinese) The sweet osmanthus (O. fragrans).

A genus of leguminous plants (herbs, shrubs, or trees) of many species, most of which have purgative qualities. The leaves of several species furnish the senna used in medicine.

The bark of several species of Cinnamomum grown in China, etc.; Chinese cinnamon. It is imported as cassia, but commonly sold as cinnamon, from which it differs more or less in strength and flavor, and the amount of outer bark attached.

Any of various trees or shrubs of the genus Cassia having pinnately compound leaves and usually yellow flowers followed by long seedpods

Chinese tree with aromatic bark; yields a less desirable cinnamon than Ceylon cinnamon