Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in a mixture of water and ethyl alcohol ( 1 ). The extract gets its signature vanilla flavor from a molecule called vanillin found in vanilla beans ( 1 , 2).

How vanilla is produced?

Natural vanilla extract comes from the vanilla orchid, which, when pollinated, produces a pod containing vanilla beans. Cured and fermented beans are ground up and soaked in alcohol and water to create the liquid extract you find at the grocery store. ... However, natural vanilla also comes from Mexico, China, and Tahiti.

Where does real vanilla come from?

Most vanilla beans available today are from Madagascar, Mexico and Tahiti. As with wine, chocolate and coffee, vanilla from each country has its own distinctive flavor profile and characteristics, owing to the different climates, soils, curing methods and vanilla species.