Avocado leaves are commonly used in southern Mexican cooking, especially in the state of Oaxaca. They can be used fresh or dried similar to the way we use bay leaves in the US. The leaves have a mild anise flavor and are often toasted to bring out a hazelnut flavor. They can be purchased in specialty food stores, Mexican grocery stores or online. Canela (Ceylon cinnamon) is the variety of cinnamon most commonly used in Mexico. The sticks are thinner and softer than the cassia cinnamon sticks used in the US and have a more delicate, sweet and floral flavor with less of the "heat" of the cassia.