New Uses for Vanilla

Introduction

Vanilla is the world’s most popular and used flavor. Vanilla was introduced to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors who brought vanilla beans from Mexico in the sixteenth century. The flavor has been gaining in popularity ever since. Vanilla is the most popular and loved flavor, apparently because it evokes emotions of comfort and familiarity. Givaudan (Food Ingredients first, August 14, 2008) verified long held beliefs regarding the universal appeal and an emotional attachment to natural vanilla. Vanilla has been used traditionally as sweet flavor in food and in fragrances. Vanilla has found new uses, however, by two new emergent trends. One is Natural, Organic and health consciousness. The other is culinology, the practice of combining art and food science by chefs to create new exciting recipes that will taste and look great and will be nutritionally balance as well. Although vanilla by itself tastes almost bitter, there are around 300 individual components in the vanilla bean, which create a unique pleasant experience in each different application. Vanilla beans and other vanilla products have become more affordable, an encouragement for the use of vanilla in traditional as well as new applications.

Uses of vanilla include: flavors, fragrances, nutraceuticals, personal care, household care, aroma therapy and crafts.