Vanilla, essence

Vanilla essence comes in two forms the actual extract of the seedpods and the far cheaper synthetic essence, basically consisting of a solution of synthetic vanillin in ethanol. Natural vanilla is an extremely complicated mixture of several hundred different compounds, versus synthetic vanillin which is derived from phenol and is of high purity. Many commercial vanilla extracts are now actually blends of natural and synthetic vanillin. The occurrence of several non-vanillin aroma and flavour components in minor or trace amounts in beans is the reason for their organoleptic superiority over synthetic vanilla and blends. Natural vanilla has a delicate, rich and mellow aroma and aftertaste, while the synthetic material is quite heavy, grassy and less pleasant. 

These can be the natural material itself, e.g. pieces of vanilla pod, or an extract, i.e. vanilla essence. Extracts can be prepared in a number of ways one is to distil or to steam distil the material of interest another is to extract the raw material with a solvent, e.g. ethanol. Alternatively, some materials are extracted by coating the leaves of a plant with cocoa butter and allowing the material of interest to migrate into the cocoa butter. These techniques are also used in preparing perfumery ingredients indeed, materials like orange oil are used in both flavours and perfumes. 

The first aldehyde is vanillin which comes from the vanilla pod and gives the characteristic vanilla flavour in, for example, ice cream. Vanilla is the seed pod of a South American orchid. Vanilla essence is made with synthetic vanillin and tastes slightly different because the vanilla pod contains otherflavour components in small quantities. The second aldehyde is retinal. As you lookatthis structure your eyes use the light reaching them to interconvert cis and trans retinal in your retina to create nervous impulses. (See also Chapter 31.)... 

Smoke flavourings must include the statement smoke flavouring on the label. Vanilla oleoresin and vanilla essence must be declared as such. 

Simply mix all the ingredients together. An easy way to make chocolate or strawberry mix is to use flavoured milk instead of the milk and vanilla essence. 

Essence of Vanilla.—The substance sold under this name is, properly, a spirituous extract of the vanilla bean. Many samples, however, are little more than alcoholic solutions of artificial vanillin, coloured with caramel. Some samples, which cannot be described as adulterated, contain a little coumarin or other odorous substance, added to varj- the characteristic vanillin odour and flavour somewhat. 

Winton and Silverman recommend the following methods for examining essence of vanilla —... 

Commercial essence of vanilla is usually made with about 5 per cent, of vanillas, the menstruum varying in strength from 40 to 50 per cent, alcohol in the best varieties. Sugar is sometimes added, but not always. The average vanillin content is O l to 0 2. Much higher values than these indicate the presence of synthetic vanillin. 

Bouquet dee MillejkurS.—Extrait de rose, one pint ex traits des tubdreuse, jasmin, fleur d orangcr, cassie, et violette, each half a pint essence of cedar, four ounces tincture of vanilla, ambergris, and musk, each two ounces essence of rose, half a pint attar of bergamot, ono ounce attars of almonds, neroli, and cloves, each ten drops. Mix, leave to rcpoBe for week, and filter. 

The conversion of eugenole into iso-eugenole and of safrole into iso-safrole is accomplished by boiling with alcoholic potassium hydroxide. The oxidation products of these ethers are other important essential oil constituents. Eugenole yields the corresponing aldehyde which is known as vanillin, the chief constituent of vanilla beans from which vanilla extract is made. Safrole by oxidation yields a compound known as piperonal also as heliotropine. It has the odor of heliotrope flowers and is used as artificial heliotrope essence. These latter compounds and also constituents of other essential oils will be considered in detail later in their proper chemical relationship (p. 66i, etc.). 

Essences Orange, cherry, raspberry, lemon, banana, vanilla, vanilla-cocos, cognac... 

Before use, vanilla beans must be further processed as their form, color, texture, and fatty nature make direct incorporation into a food product of very limited applicability (often home use). A homogenized puree of vanilla beans has been used in the flavoring of ice cream, but the presence of unsaturated fatty matter poses problems of stability and shelf life. It is also very difficult to reduce the seeds so that they do not leave black specks. It is customary to use vanilla in the form of an alcoholic essence or extract and many such products, differing in flavor quality and strength, are available commercially. 

Figure 63A Radar plots of three different essences (peach, tutti-frutti and vanilla) obtained by using an array of 11 sensors.

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