What Is the Origin of Vanilla Flavoring?

Vanilla, discovered by the Totonac people of Mexico in the 15th century, has been enhancing our taste experiences ever since. It’s a flavor that’s far from simple, and its allure continues to captivate our senses.

Vanilla remains one of the most beloved flavorings worldwide. Its distinctive essence is a key ingredient in everything from cakes to ice cream, and its flavor even helps make medicines more enjoyable.

The aroma of vanilla is so delightful that it has become a key ingredient in everything from luxury perfumes to common air fresheners.

However, there's a major challenge with vanilla – there simply isn’t enough genuine vanilla to meet the demand.

This is where vanilla flavoring enters the picture. So, where does vanilla flavoring come from? Around 19,841 tons (18,000 metric tons) of vanilla flavor are produced each year, 85% of which is vanillin created from a petrochemical called guaiacol. Less than 1% of the vanilla flavor consumed globally actually comes from the pure extract of vanilla orchids.

So, what exactly are you consuming in all those vanilla-flavored treats? The story begins with the discovery of a unique bean and, centuries later, the synthetic replication of its exceptional flavor.

The History of Vanilla

In the 15th century, the Totanacs, who resided in what is now the Veracruz region of Mexico, believed that the tropical, climbing orchid sprouted from the blood of a deity and her forbidden mortal lover, which spilled onto the earth.

Although the Totanacs may have been the first to cultivate and harvest vanilla, it didn’t take long for the rest of the world to develop a fondness for the flavor as well.

When the Aztecs and Spanish conquered the Totanacs during the Battle of Tenochtitlán in 1521, they claimed the Totanacs' beloved vanilla and made it part of their tribute payment. They also mixed it with chocolate, believing it had aphrodisiac powers. As vanilla spread along trade routes, the demand for it grew.

Centuries later, vanilla continues to be in high demand, appearing in products from lattes to latkes. While vanilla orchids are now commercially cultivated, there is still a substantial gap between the supply of vanilla and the global demand for both the flavor and its extract.

Where Do Vanilla Beans Come From?

The vanilla pods that hold the beans for pure vanilla extract come from the vanilla bean orchid (Vanilla planifolia), which thrives only in a few regions of the world that are often prone to natural disasters.

For instance, vanilla production is concentrated on the island of Madagascar, where a series of cyclones in 2018 caused the price of natural vanilla to soar to $600 per kilogram (2.2 pounds). Today, the price of natural vanilla hovers around $300 per kilogram (0.45 pounds). In comparison, saffron, regarded as the world’s most expensive spice, starts at around $550 per pound (0.45 kilograms).

"The vanilla bean is renowned worldwide for its distinctive aroma and flavor," says Amy Smith, former sous chef and founder of FoodLve.com, in an email interview. "Vanilla bean is also one of the most valuable and scarce commodities on Earth. Its price often surpasses that of many precious metals. As a result, natural vanilla extract tends to be much more expensive than vanilla flavoring. Since vanilla flavoring is synthetically made without a vanilla bean, it's far more affordable. Not surprisingly, chefs and cooks often substitute pure vanilla with vanilla flavoring to avoid financial strain," she adds.

But what are the key ingredients that go into making imitation vanilla?

The Great Vanilla Dupe

Pure vanilla extract is commercially made by soaking vanilla beans in a mixture of water and ethyl alcohol, or you can make your own by using vanilla bean pods and vodka (or another neutral-flavored spirit).

In contrast, a product labeled 'vanilla flavoring' is usually composed of both artificial and natural ingredients," says Kate Thrane, a Minnesota-based recipe developer, in an email interview.

And the 'natural' ingredients listed on the label might not even include the vanilla bean at all, according to Thrane.

The quest to understand vanilla flavoring began in the late 1800s when scientists sought to unravel the complexities of the rare and costly vanilla bean and its extract at a molecular level.

In 1858, French biochemist Nicolas-Theodore Gobley crystallized vanilla extract and identified vanillin, one of the 250 compounds that make up natural vanilla. "Vanillin is a phenolic aldehyde compound that gives vanilla its distinctive flavor," explains Thrane.

In 1874, German scientists Ferdinand Tiemann and Wilhelm Haarman determined the molecular structure of vanillin. They then synthesized it, not from the vanilla bean, but from coniferin — a substance found in pine bark. The creation of synthetic vanillin led to the birth of an entire industry focused on producing artificial vanilla flavoring.

"Vanilla flavoring is more affordable than real vanilla extract because it is produced on a large scale and lacks any genuine vanilla extract," says Thrane.

Artificial vanilla flavoring, marketed as vanilla essence, imitation vanilla flavor, or artificial vanilla extract, can be made from chemical compounds in clove oil or lignin sourced from plants, cow manure, and wood pulp.

Currently, about 15 percent of artificial vanilla flavoring is derived from lignin, while approximately 85 percent of the world's vanillin comes from guaiacol, a substance extracted from petrochemicals. If you've ever seen firewood charred to create black creosote, you're familiar with guaiacol. Guaiacol is one of the three chemicals found in creosote. By adding caramel coloring, cocoa or tea extracts, and diluting with alcohol or propylene glycol, a substance resembling vanilla extract is produced and sold.

There is another, more eco-friendly method of making vanilla extract, though it may not be quite as appetizing.

The Imitation Vanilla Game

A bit of casual research into the ingredients of imitation vanilla might reveal a surprising fact about beaver biology: The scent glands in a beaver's castor sac, located near its anus, are squeezed to extract a substance called castoreum. Despite its origin in the anal glands, castoreum produces a vanilla-like scent and has historically been used to flavor foods with a vanilla taste.

Does this mean imitation vanilla flavoring contains beaver castoreum? Not really. Most vanilla flavorings sold in the United States today don't include "essence of beaver." And even if they did, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would allow it.

As a food additive, the FDA classifies castoreum as "generally recognized as safe," meaning manufacturers who use it can label it as a "natural ingredient" instead of specifying its origin in the anal glands.

The main reason beaver castoreum isn't commonly found in vanilla flavorings is that, similar to pure vanilla, castoreum is rare and costly.

Flavor chemist Gary Reineccius explained to NPR's The Salt, "In the flavor industry, you need large quantities of material to work with. You can't exactly grow fields of beavers to harvest. There aren't many of them, which makes it an expensive product that's not popular with food manufacturers."

Each year, less than 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of castoreum is used in food or other human products, with the majority going to the perfume industry.

It turns out that vanilla flavoring is less about beaver excretions and more about laboratory processes. So before you discard that vanilla latte — or stop ordering it — think about the rather unexciting origins of the vanillin that powers imitation vanilla.