![]() ![]() If tourists are willing to buy the cheap imitations, all the better for the vendors.Ĭlear vanilla is pure, synthetic vanillin made by chemists. Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean are poor countries and pure vanilla is expensive. Needless to say, synthetic vanillas are a big industry as most tourists have no idea they are being duped and it’s an easy product to sell. So, don’t believe that the label gives you an accurate account of the ingredients. While most labels say, “No Coumarin,” don’t count on it!Īlthough there are label laws in Mexico they aren’t enforced in some of the other countries there are no restrictions. We’ve outlawed its use in the United States since the 1950s. Coumarin can be toxic, especially to the liver. It worked.īy adding coumarin to synthetic vanillin, the flavor was a little more like pure vanilla. Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean began selling cheap synthetic vanillas hoping to cash in on Mexico’s vibrant history as the finest vanilla beans in the world. Soon it was discovered that synthetic vanillin could be made from paper pulp and coal tar. In the 1880s the first synthetic vanillas came from Germany, providing a cheaper alternative to natural vanilla. Mexico’s share of the world’s vanilla supply took a nosedive, but its reputation remained intact for decades. Then the petroleum companies on the Gulf stripped the natural forests, making vanilla growing very difficult and, over time, it made the area increasingly hotter and less humid. The Mexican industry had to shut down for several years due to the war, and starting up production once the war ended, took time. In the early 20th century, the Mexican Revolution raged throughout the country, and for a while, was especially fierce on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. In the late 1800s, the French invested heavily in vanilla plantations in Reunion, the Comoro Islands, and later, Madagascar, and by the early 20th century these regions gained control of the world vanilla market. Mexico had the monopoly on vanilla production until the latter part of the 19th century and the vanilla-growing region on the Gulf of Mexico was very prosperous. Why produce imitation and not pure vanilla? Several reasons. In fact, more than 99% of all of the so-called vanilla extract bought in retail venues in Latin America is imitation vanilla. It is imitation vanilla with unknown ingredients!īecause vanilla originally came from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, and because, at one time Mexico produced the world’s finest pure vanilla, it would seem plausible that it would still be true. ![]() In fact, the cheap, dark (or clear) product in the big bottle is not vanilla at all. Well, sorry folks, it isn’t pure vanilla extract. It has such a unique flavor and it’s stronger than any vanilla they’ve ever used. People rave to me about the fabulous deal they got on a giant bottle of vanilla extract in Mexico, Haiti, Guadeloupe, etc. Let’s look at the so-called vanilla from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean for the answerĪ common misconception exists about vanilla from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. ![]()
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