What is the difference between Dominican vanilla and regular vanilla?

Answer 1

Dominican vanilla is generally made from a chemical that is either synthesized or is derived from the tonka bean.

The main ingredient is generally coumarin. The Food and Drug Administration in the United States bans coumarin as an additive in human food because it can cause kidney and liver failure. United States Customs bans its importation.

If a person takes medicine to thin the blood because of heart problems, the addition of coumarin to the diet can possibly cause hemorrhaging and death.

The Dominican Republic does not have commercial production of vanilla beans, as well as it is very difficult to find real vanilla extract in the Dominican Republic.

In the United States, the law is very definite as to what constitutes vanilla extract. It is: water, alcohol, extracts of vanilla and sugar.

In the Dominican Republic either there is no law stating what vanilla extract is or there is no enforcement of the law. From time to time you will see Dominican containers which state there is no coumarin.

This does not mean it is real vanilla.

Vanilla is mostly used in baking. Make something like Tres Leches - two of them; one with Dominican vanilla, and the other with real vanilla extract. The taste difference is discernable right away.

Real vanilla extract enhances chocolate when making such favorites as brownies, chocolate cake or Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Dominican vanilla, and other coumarin-based imitation vanilla flavors, like cheap Mexican vanillas, does not.

The difference in prices of real vanilla is usually due to brands.

With the same ingredients, grocery store brands will usually be less expensive than name brands. At bakery supply distributors, prices will be different according to the strength of vanilla. These are generally signified as two-fold, three -old and four-fold.

This is a reference to it's strength in relation to standard, single-fold vanilla.

Dominican vanilla is also sold as a clear vanilla extract, as opposed to real vanilla extract which is not clear.

The flavor is in the oil and the oil is brown.

Extracting the color removes the flavor.

Nationally known brands such as McCormick and Nielsen-Massey will state on the jar when it is imitation vanilla.

Answer 2

You can try, but you'll get food poisoning.