Not all vanilla beans look alike.
Vanilla extracts add a hint of sweetness to baked dishes and other recipes. These extracts come from dried seed pods, also called (beans) of the vanilla orchid plant. There are more than 20,000 different types of vanilla plants all over the world, but only about 150 varieties produce vanilla beans because these plants must be pollinated by hummingbirds or melipona bees to make beans.The orchid flower only opens for one day, so many growers rely on hand-pollination techniques to produce vanilla beans. Most vanilla extract varieties are similar in taste and texture, but some types have slight differences because not all extracts come from pure vanilla beans.
Pure Vanilla Extract
Pure vanilla extract is more expensive than imitation vanilla because this extract consists of pure vanilla beans rather than substitutes and takes longer to make. Pure vanilla extract is rich and oily in texture. This extract has a rich aroma, and the taste can vary depending on the type of vanilla beans it includes. Extracts that come from Mexican vanilla pod are richer and darker than other types. Tahitian are also rich and nearly black, but extracts made from these beans are not as rich in flavor as other types. Sometimes sugar is added to pure extracts to enhance the flavor even more. Read the label to find out if there are any added ingredients.
Imitation Vanilla Extract
Imitation vanilla extract come from synthetic vanilla. This type of extract tastes similar to other extracts because of added flavorings. However, imitation vanilla actually comes from the glycoside found in the sapwood of fir trees. This type of vanilla extract is not the "real thing," but grocery stores still list it as an extract, and it serves the same purpose as other extracts. People use imitation vanilla extract in the same way that they use pure vanilla extracts. Imitation vanilla is also much thinner than pure vanilla extract.
Vanilla Flavoring
Extracts that are labeled "vanilla flavoring" are a combination of both imitation and pure vanilla. This extract has the same purpose as other types, and some manufacturers add sugar to this product as well. Prices vary depending on how many "pure" ingredients the product contains. This product may also have a label that says "vanilla concentrate," "vanilla essence" or "vanilla crystals concentrate."
Tags: vanilla beans, vanilla extract, come from, other types, pure vanilla, extract rich
