Vanilla essence or vanilla flavoring cannot legally be called vanilla extract because they do not contain the amounts of vanilla or alcohol required to be labelled as such. Vanilla extract has a high concentration of both ethanol and vanilla beans. It is rare even for imitation vanillas to contain this substance these days, but it is extremely rare that you’d have anything to worry about with the real stuff. In the past, and less commonly today, certain varieties of imitation vanilla contained castoreum, which comes from beavers’ anal glands (lovely, we know). The reason for much of the confusion caused around this topic is actually because of imitation vanilla, not real vanilla extract. However, you’ll be happy to know that the short answer to this question is yes, real vanilla extract is vegan. You may be confused on this one, as many online resources seem to have conflicting information. Mexico’s monopoly on all things vanilla continued all the way through to the late 19 th century, until Madagascar slowly but surely began to approach the market domination we see today.īut when did vanilla extract specifically first grace our taste buds? Its origin dates all the way back to 1847, when it was first sold commercially by Joseph Burnett. Similar spikes have been caused by several other cyclones and poor weather conditions. For example, in 2004, after the effects of tropical cyclones along with political upset and poor weather conditions in Madagascar, the price of vanilla extract shot up to a staggering $500 per kilo. There are also several other factors that can contribute to these fluctuations. Less available vanilla beans means less vanilla extract produced and higher competition among shoppers. Once you remember that a huge 80% of the global supply of vanilla comes from the relatively small island of Madagascar, the answer becomes a little clearer.Ī single significant event in Madagascar such as a storm or hurricane can wipe out a huge portion of this supply, which sometimes leads to a drastic increase in price for us consumers.

Okay – makes sense, but if the process of making vanilla extract is fairly set in stone, then why does the price vary so much from week to week or month to month? From the hand pollinating to the daily unrolling and rerolling of the ripened vanilla beans, every step of the process comes with its unique challenges and labor needs that really ramps up the overall cost. This means they must be “blanched” (quickly soaked in hot water) to stop the bean from ripening and stimulate an enzyme that helps develop that distinctive vanilla flavor we know and love.Īnd we’re not just talking about time here, but incredible amounts of energy and labor. But before it can be turned into liquid form, vanilla beans must be “cured”.

Once the vanilla is finally harvested, much of it used to make vanilla extract. Vanilla is a highly sensitive crop that requires months of tender love and care and can only be grown in very specific conditions, hence why its origin countries are so limited. These are the three main regions where vanilla is grown, and a huge 80% of that comes from Madagascar. To get to the bottom of these questions, we have to start all the way back in the vanilla farms of Madagascar, Mexico or Tahiti. But what is it actually made of? And what processes does it go through before it ends up as the tasty solution we know and love? To most of us, vanilla extract is simply a popular ingredient that are dessert recipes simply wouldn’t be the same without.

Vanilla extract pure