Natural Vanilla Flavor
People who prefer not to use an alcohol-based extract can
substitute natural vanilla flavor found in natural and specialty
food stores and some supermarkets. It usually is made with a
glycerin or a propylene glycol base. Although the flavor comes
from vanilla beans, it doesn't fit the FDA profile for extracts,
so it must legally be called natural vanilla flavor.
Note: The texture of natural vanilla - especially in a glycerin
base - is viscous and a little darker than vanilla extract. It
also smells somewhat different. In uncooked foods and beverages it
tastes fairly similar but with a slight aftertaste; in cooked or
baked foods, it's more similar to extract.
Vanilla - Vanillin Flavoring
Vanilla flavor is a mixture of pure vanilla extract and synthetic
substances, most commonly, synthetic vanillin. (Note: this product
cannot legally have "natural" on the label.) There are a couple of
common brands that contain a blend of natural and synthetic
vanillas. If you grew up with a natural/synthetic blend, this may
taste more familiar to you than a pure extract.
Imitation Vanilla
Imitation vanilla is a mixture made from synthetic substances,
which imitate part of natural vanilla smell and flavor. Imitation
vanilla in the United States comes from synthetic vanillin, which
mimics the flavor of natural vanillin, one of the components that
gives vanilla its extraordinary bouquet.
The first synthetics were made in Germany in the 1870s because
pure vanilla was so expensive that only the wealthy could afford
it. It was first made from coniferin, the glucoside that makes
some pines smell a little like vanilla. In the 1890s a French
chemist created a synthetic from euganol, found in cloves. The two
most common sources for synthetic vanillin have been Lignin
Vanillin, a by-product of the paper industry, which has been
chemically treated to resemble the taste of pure vanilla extract,
and Ethyl Vanillin, which is a coal-tar derivative and frequently
far stronger than either Lignin Vanillin or pure vanilla.
In the 1930s, the Ontario Paper Company, was struggling with the
sulphite liquor, a by-product of paper making, which was polluting
local streams near their plant. Company chemists realized it could
be turned into synthetic vanillin, a viable but curious ecological
solution to a big problem. If you grew up on synthetics, imitation
vanilla will be a familiar flavor for you. Given the fact that
vanilla isn't that expensive, you might consider learning to enjoy
the real deal.
Natural Vanillin
Natural vanillin is one of the over two hundred organic components
that make up the flavor and aroma of vanilla, and it's the one we
most associate with vanilla. Vanilla beans sometimes have pure
vanillin crystals that develop on the bean's surface. The crystals
give off an iridescent sparkle in sunlight and are quite edible.
Coumarin
Coumarin is a derivative of the tonka bean, which comes from
Dipteryx ordorata, a tree native to Brazil. Some of the organic
constituents that make up its flavor are similar to, or the same
as, those in pure vanilla. Coumarin is frequently found in
synthetic vanillas from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
as it's cheap and it makes synthetic vanilla taste more like the
natural. Unfortunately, coumarin is considered toxic, especially
to the liver, and potentially carcinogenic, and has been banned
from the United States since the 1950s. (Dicumarol, which is a
derivative of coumarin, is the active ingredient in certain
blood-thinning medications, and is legal in the United States.)
Cookie Vanilla
Cookie Vanilla is a brand name for a blend of vanillas created
by one of the American vanilla manufacturers. It's a blend of
Tahitian and Bourbon vanilla, which makes it sweet and floral. If
you enjoy the flavor of Tahitian vanilla but feel pure Tahitian
vanilla is too expensive for your budget, then use Cookie Vanilla
or make your own blend of Tahitian and Bourbon vanilla extracts.
Vanilla Powder
There are several types of vanilla powders commercially available.
Some are made from sucrose that has been ribbon-sprayed with
vanilla extract, and some are a dextrose-vanilla extract mix. They
are good for putting into beverages if you want a slightly sweet
product that dissolves easily. You can also mix them into powdered
or granulated sugar for a vanilla-flavored sugar and you can
sprinkle the powders on finished foods such as cinnamon/vanilla
toast or...on top of the family heirloom cake when it's warm from
the oven. Be aware that many of the vanilla powders from Europe
are actually synthetic. Check the ingredients list to see if it's
natural or not.
Ground Vanilla Beans
Vanilla beans ground to a fine powder are sometimes confused
with vanilla powder. Ground vanilla beans are sometimes used in
commercial and industrial products. Ground vanilla is absolutely
exquisite in food. Because it isn't in an alcohol carrier, you
won't lose flavor when you cook or bake with it. As a result, you
can use about half the amount of beans as extract.
Exhausted Vanilla Beans
Exhausted vanilla beans are the ground residue of the
extraction process. They may still hold some flavor and are added
to commercial vanilla ice creams (often called "vanilla-bean" ice
cream), and other products. They are generally not used in home
cooking.
Single Fold, Double Fold, etc.
The word "fold" connotes concentration in liquid vanilla extracts
and synthetics. Single fold (written 1x) is the standard
concentrate of pure vanilla extract. Double fold (2x) is twice as
strong, and so forth. Concentrations can go up to 20-fold, but the
extract isn't real stable above four-fold. In candy-making, where
liquids can change the chemistry of the finished product, a
multi-fold extract concentrate is useful.
Vanilla Paste
Vanilla paste is a sweet concentrated vanilla extract that has
the vanilla bean seeds included in the mix. It is very useful in
cooking when you don't want to add much additional liquid.
Vanilla Oleoresin
Vanilla oleoresin is a semi-solid concentrate obtained by
removing the solvent from the vanilla extract. A solution of
isopropanol is frequently used instead of ethanol for the
preparation. Some flavor and aroma is lost during removal of the
solvent, but it does contain essential oils. Vanilla oleoresin is
used in non-food products. Unfortunately, it isn't always stable
in candle and soap making, which is too bad, as it's considerably
less expensive than Vanilla Absolute.
Vanilla Absolute
Vanilla absolute is the most concentrated form of vanilla. It is
often used to in perfumes and other aroma-based products. Because
it's so expensive, most candles, soaps, and other scented
specialty merchandise, are made from synthetic vanillin. Vanilla
Absolute is used in very high-end products in small quantities,
often mixed with other fragrances in perfumes, for instance.
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