Handbook of Vanilla Science and Technology

Imperiale | Guerlain | 1850 | Citrus, Bergamot, Mandarin, Lemon, Verbena, Cedarwood

Aqua Velva Ice Blue | Williams Hispania | 1935 | Bergamot, Lemon, Petitgrain, Lavender, Mint, Spices, Sage, Rose

Eau Sauvage | Dior | 1966 | Jasmin, Bergamot, Citrus, Herbal

Eau d'Hadrien | Annick Goutal | 1980 | Citrus, Bergamot, Cypress

―"― | Reintroduced | 1995 | ―"―

What are the problems with the use of vanilla in fragrances? In a word: solubility. There are many carrier media in which vanilla extract, an alcohol and water-based dark brown material, is difficult or impossible to use. Other vanilla preparations also pose a problem. Vanilla absolute is a very expensive product. The dark color of vanilla absolute is problematic and, furthermore, it is a vanilla preparation that has lost the top notes that are normally present in an alcoholic solution of vanilla.

Extraction of vanilla beans into propylene glycol addresses the flammability issue of alcohol but does little to reduce the solubility problems where a highly lipophilic system is needed. Color for many applications is often a requirement for products such as candles and any wax based or silicon based system. There are also air freshener devices and systems where any hydrophilic glycols or carriers are extremely undesirable. This is also true for certain lipophilic encapsulation procedures.

What can be done? Alternatives would be to extract vanilla beans with solvents less polar than water and alcohol. Alternatives might include types of esters or salicylates that are used in the flavor themselves or materials that can be used in the potential systems. However, there are limitations regarding what can be done in extraction of vanilla for flavors due to the standard of identity. The negative side of alternative extraction methods is that vanillin, a highly polar material, and other polar constituents will not be extracted in the same way as they would be in alcohol-water systems. The resultant material will be application specific, not a real article of commerce or meant as a replacement for vanilla extract of any kind. However, this would create an opportunity for vanilla to be used in new ways that do not currently exist. If vanillin is needed, it is always available to bolster the body without color problems.

Some of the problems with using vanilla extracts have been solved by using vanillin. However, I espouse the view that vanillin does not offer the same richness and depth in flavor and aroma found in vanilla extract. I believe there is an opportunity to develop new types of vanilla bean extracts that would expand the use of vanilla, particularly for use in non-food items.

The real beauty of vanilla lies in its extreme complexity. It is not due merely to vanillin or percentage content of vanillin. If this were true, we could replace vanilla with synthetic vanillin in a suitable solvent or diluent. There are a wide variety of functional groups and molecules that make vanilla such a wonderful material (Table 13.7). Chapter 11 by Toth et al. presents a comprehensive summary of the volatile compounds that have been identified in vanilla. While little attention has been paid to the sesquiterpene and hydrocarbon compounds of vanilla, it is this author’s view that the sesquiterpene and unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds play an extremely important role in the longevity and natural warm woody aroma that is intrinsic to a good quality vanilla.

Table 13.7 Compound classes contributing to the descriptors of vanilla aroma

Descriptor | Compound Class

Vanilla | Vanillin

Fruity | Ethyl esters and other esters

Caramel/Cooked | Diacetyl, hydroxyl, ketones, cyclic compounds, lactones

Woody | Sequiterpenes, lactones

Spicy | Phenols, substituted phenols

When we look at flavor claims, there is little need to describe vanilla to the public. Only when there is an unfamiliar product such as Chai Tea, does a marketing department develop a complex explanation of the flavor using the terms like “exotic” and “spicy” to embellish the already “plain vanilla”, which is exotic in its own right. As can be seen, there are a great many coffee and tea drinks using vanilla and sugar and a combination of other ingredients. These drinks are almost exactly like the drink types used 500 years ago by the Aztec chiefs. The New Chiefs now all go to Starbucks!