Vanilla: Flavor, Cooking Use and Health Facts

What it is

Vanilla comes from the cured pods ("beans") of Vanilla planifolia, a climbing orchid that is native to Mesoamerica. [2][1] Pods ripen on the vine for about 8 to 10 months. [1] Madagascar is the world's leading grower, followed by Indonesia and others. [2] Another species, Vanilla tahitensis, is grown in the South Pacific and is called Tahitian vanilla. [1][3] Each flower lasts one day and is usually pollinated by hand, and vanilla extract is called the second most valuable spice after saffron. [2]

Flavor and aroma

Vanilla tastes sweet, soft and creamy, with floral and slightly woody notes. McCormick Science Institute lists rum-like, prune-like, floral and resinous notes as good signs. [1] Poorly cured beans can taste green, smoky or medicinal. [1]

The main aroma compound is vanillin. In one analysis it made up about 80% of the aroma compounds measured in the bean, yet it was no more than 4% of the extract as a whole. [3] The bean holds many other compounds, and one manufacturer says there are over 250. [5] That is why real vanilla tastes rounder than plain vanillin. [7]

Origin matters a little. One maker describes Madagascar vanilla as full, sweet and creamy, Mexican as deeper and spicier, and Tahitian as floral and cherry-like. [6] In a home taste test, differences were easy to notice in cold pudding and hard to notice in baked cookies. [7] Both of those sources sell or review vanilla products, so treat the descriptions as a guide.

How it is used in cooking

• Extract is the usual form for cakes, cookies, custards, ice cream and drinks. [1][5] The alcohol cooks off in heat, and the vanilla taste stays. [5]
• Whole beans: split the bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and stir them in, or simmer the split pod in milk or a braise and remove it before serving. [1]
• Paste gives visible specks without thinning batters. Powder suits dry mixes and white icing. [6]
• Timing: for puddings, stir extract in off the heat. [7] The maker of Tahitian extract says it is better in cold or frozen dishes, because heat can damage it. [6]
• Savory: one maker says Madagascar extract suits savory dishes, and Mexican suits chili and salsa. [6]
• Swaps: one bean gives about 3 teaspoons of extract worth of flavor. [1] Paste, powder and extract are said to work in place of each other in most recipes. [5] Imitation vanilla is mostly vanillin and tastes less complex. [7]

Normal food amounts

USDA SR Legacy has no entry for the whole vanilla bean, so there are no bean numbers here. It does list vanilla extract. This dataset is from 2018, and real products vary.

What one teaspoon of extract (4.2 g) provides, worked out from USDA values per 100 g: [9]

Extract is not a useful source of vitamins or minerals. The amounts are tiny, and you use it for flavor.

Buying, storing and preparing

• Pure extract in the US must contain at least 35% alcohol and a set amount of vanilla bean material. [10] A product with less than 35% alcohol is sold as "vanilla flavoring". [11] "Vanilla-vanillin" products have added vanillin and must say it is an artificial flavor. [12]
• Beans: pick plump, pliable pods, not dry and brittle ones. [1] Dark pods may show tiny white vanillin crystals. [1] Commercial black beans are the top grade for retail, and red beans go to extract. [3] Cured beans in one study held 1.2 to 2.2 g vanillin per 100 g. [3]
• Storage: keep beans in a closed container in a cool, dry, dark place. [1][5] Sources differ on how long: up to 2 years, or about 3 to 4 years for best quality. [1][8] If the smell is weak, replace them. [8]
• Extract keeps for years if stored cool and dark, away from heat. [5]
• Quality issues: cheap "vanilla" from tourist areas of Mexico has been found to contain tonka bean or coumarin (see health section). [1][15] Real vanilla is expensive: extract is the second most valuable spice by value after saffron, according to UF IFAS. [2]

Real vanilla and vanillin

Vanillin is the compound that gives vanilla its main smell. Natural vanilla beans store it in a bound form and release it during curing. [4] Making vanillin from orchids is slow and costly: one study says 500 kg of pods gives 1 kg of vanillin, and less than 1% of the world's vanillin comes from vanilla orchids. [4] Imitation vanilla uses vanillin made from other raw materials, which one manufacturer says can be paper or petrochemical by-products. [5] Vanillin is the same molecule either way. The difference is that real vanilla also has many other compounds. [3][5]

Health: what research says

Vanilla in a cake or custard is a flavoring, not a medicine. The health research on vanilla is thin, and most of what exists is on pure vanillin in cells and animals.

Food amounts vs supplements

What the evidence shows

Vanilla has no herb page on this site, because it is used as a flavoring rather than as a herbal remedy. For how spices differ in food and supplements, see the guide linked below.

Official statements

• FDA (US): sets what "vanilla extract" means (at least 35% alcohol), what "vanilla flavoring" means (below 35%) and how "vanilla-vanillin" products must be labelled. [10][11][12]
• JECFA (WHO and FAO), evaluation 2001: acceptable daily intake of 0 to 10 mg per kg body weight for vanillin, with no safety concern at current intakes as a flavoring. A 2019 entry considered specifications only. [13][14]
• FDA, 2008: consumer warning on Mexican "vanilla" that contains coumarin, as reported by HealthDay. [15]
• No EMA or NCCIH statement on vanilla was read.

Related pages

• Flavor and aroma guide
• Spices in food vs supplements
• Spice safety: medicines, pregnancy and allergy
• Saffron, cloves and other whole spices as food
• Alcohol-containing herbal products
• Cinnamon and cloves