There are three main types of vanilla available for purchase, and I’d often wondered the similarities and differences among them. If you’re like me, hopefully this post will help identify the different types of vanilla.
The differences are pretty subtle, but they are there. Once you decide which is your favorite–or you decide to make your own vanilla extract exactly the way you want it, you can use it to flavor everything from creme brulee to whipped cream pound cake to the best hot fudge sauce.
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The Magic of Vanilla
I am always amazed when people use the word vanilla as an adjective to describe something or someone who is plain, boring or lackluster.
Vanilla is one of the most complex flavors around, containing upwards of 200 different flavor compounds.
Due to the labor-intensive nature of its cultivation, harvest and processing, vanilla is also second only to saffron in cost, and the price has risen quite a bit over the last few years due to difficult growing conditions, shipping cost, and more.
While it is true that the majority of what we think of as the “smell” or “taste” or vanilla comes from vanillin, there are tons of other compounds that serve to round out and add nuance to the flavor.
Imitation Vanilla
Imitation vanilla, on the other hand, is composed almost entirely of one flavor note: vanillin. That’s why imitation vanilla is both less subtle and less complex than true vanilla derived from vanilla beans.
From now on, if you want to describe something or someone as being plain, boring or lackluster, please use the term vanillin.
Is “Clear Vanilla” Imitation Vanilla?
Clear vanilla is definitely imitation vanilla, so it is pretty much straight up vanillin. Clear vanilla is useful when you want vanilla flavor but you still want your icing to be bright white.
Real vanilla is almost always brown, and using a scraped vanilla bean will give you little specks in your frosting, so for a super white vanilla-flavored icing, clear vanilla is the only way to go.
Why Compare the Different Types of Vanilla?
I am fortunate to live close to Savory Spice Shop in Raleigh, and they carry a lovely selection of vanillas.
Last time I was there, I purchased three different vanilla extracts:
- Madagascar Bourbon
- Mexican
- Tahitian.
I was curious to try them in a head to head taste test since I had some preconceived notions of which type of vanilla was “best” without really ever trying all of them for myself.
In the restaurants, we used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla pastes and extracts.
I’ve used Mexican vanilla beans before in pudding, and I love the woody mysteriousness of it, and although I adore Sonoma Syrup’s Vanilla Bean “Crush” (a blend of Madagascar Bourbon and Tahitian vanilla), I’d never had Tahitian vanilla on its own.
Now I had the opportunity to try all three vanillas, side by side. (Some vanilla is produced in both Indonesia and India, but I haven’t come across it before. If I can find some, I’ll give them a whirl, too).
My Preconceived Ideas About the Types of Vanilla
- Madagascar Bourbon vanilla is the gold standard of vanillas.
- Mexican vanilla extract is kind of shady, although the beans are great.
- Tahitian vanilla is mostly about aroma, not actual flavor.
- The differences among the three types of vanilla will be readily apparent.
Note that these preconceptions did not necessarily all hold up after tasting.
Vanilla Taste Test
If I were conducting a scientific experiment, I would have had a “control group” that didn’t contain any vanilla at all, but I wasn’t, so I didn’t.
Here’s what I did to conduct my vanilla taste test:
- I smelled and tasted the vanillas straight.
- I smelled and tasted them diluted in water.
- I smelled and tasted them in whole milk.
- I smelled and tasted them in vanilla pudding (stirring in the extracts off the heat).
- I smelled and tasted them in vanilla shortbread (baking the extracts in, this time)
If I’d had a control group, I would have just tasted straight milk and made pudding and cookies without any vanilla in them at all.
But I’m only human and there are only so many glasses of milk One can drink and cookies and pudding that One can eat!
A Note on the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla I Used
I also need to note that the Madagascar Bourbon vanilla I have is paste, which aside from vanilla extract also contains sugar, vanilla beans, gum tragacanth and a small amount (0.1%) of potassium sorbate as a preservative.
To try and keep the tests as fair as possible, I used a bit more of the paste and tried really hard not to pay attention to the sweetness.
Vanilla Tasting Notes
Tasting the Extracts “Straight”
To me, concentrated vanilla extract smells kind of like Play-Doh.
Then someone commented here that Play-Doh smells like vanilla and not the other way around. Of course!
I hope I’m not the only one. Having said that, the Madagascar Bourbon and Tahitian vanillas both smelled very similar to me. Both have an aroma that is subtle, sweet, and spicy, although the Tahitian smelled a bit sweeter to me.
The Mexican vanilla has a few deeper notes. It’s a bit more woody and earthy; a bit mysterious. It smells like Mysterious Play-Doh.
Flavor-wise, the Madagascar Bourbon tastes most like “standard vanilla” to me while I tasted the Tahitian more in the air in my mouth rather than on my tongue.
That tells me that the Tahitian is more about aroma and less about actual taste. Or rather the flavor is carried more by the aroma, if that makes sense.
The bass notes (bass as in low on the scale, not as in fish) in the Mexican vanilla translated to more bass flavor as well. It’s a bit hard to describe, but the Mexican vanilla has more “dark wood” flavor than the other two.
Smelling the Aroma in Water
Just like Bourbon and Scotch open up when just a few drops of water are added, I wanted to smell and taste the vanilla in water as well.
Rather than adding a few drops of water to each vanilla, I added 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla to each of three 2 oz glasses of filtered water. After all, vanilla is pretty expensive!
Here’s what I found:
- I could barely smell the Madagascar Bourbon vanilla in the water, even with my nose right down in the glass.
- The Tahitian had a very apparent, sweet and vanilla-y aroma
- The Mexican vanilla was almost as hard to detect as the Madagascar Bourbon vanilla was.
Tasting the Vanilla in Water
I also tasted the water, and the same results as the “straight up” tasting played out more subtly in this test:
- the Madagascar and Tahitian both tasted of sweet vanilla, although the flavor was more “in the air” for the Tahitian.
- The Mexican vanilla also had a sweet vanilla flavor supported by that extra woody note.
Tasting in Whole Milk
More than any of the other tests, the milk test really highlighted the differences among the three vanillas.
I’m not sure whether it was because of the fat in the milk or the proteins or the milk sugars, but whatever it is about milk, it really helps make obvious the differences in aroma and flavor.
- The milk with the Madagascar vanilla in it both smelled and tasted like melted Philadelphia-style (no egg) ice cream. It was kind of amazing, really.
- The Tahitian vanilla milk smelled sweetly of vanilla, but again the flavor was mostly in the air in my mouth and not actually on my tongue.
- The Mexican vanilla milk smelled fairly strongly of alcohol, which I thought was odd since there was only 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla in 2 oz of milk. I couldn’t really taste the vanilla in the milk at all–it just tasted like milk, but more so. Like the best milk ever, but not necessarily vanilla.
Maybe the vanilla flavor of Mexican vanilla has a creaminess to it that allows it to blend in to enhance and not overpower??
Tasting the 3 Vanillas In Vanilla Pudding
I made my standard vanilla pudding containing whole milk, sugar, corn starch, egg yolk and salt (see video). I normally add butter, but not this time.
I also added a smidge more salt than I normally would to really make the vanilla flavor pop. Don’t worry–it wasn’t a salty, or even savory pudding. It was just really good and well seasoned.
Making Vanilla Pudding Video
I divided the pudding into thirds and stirred in the extracts off the heat: 1/2 teaspoon per 6 oz of pudding base, and I tasted the puddings both hot, warm and cold. Because I live to serve.
The puddings all smelled fairly distinctive when hot and warm:
- The Madagascar smelled of sweet, spicy vanilla.
- The Tahitian was a bit headier but just as sweets
- The Mexican smelled like vanilla, only deeper–woody.
All three tasted of sweet vanilla, but again, the Tahitian was more “in the air” than the Madagascar, and the Mexican was deeper.
My favorite of the three was the Mexican, but I want to stress that I might not have been able to detect a difference at all if all three weren’t in front of me at one time.
When chilled, the differences became much less obvious, with the Madagascar tasting like standard (excellent) vanilla pudding, the Tahitian pretty much just tasting like pudding with a hint of vanilla, and the Mexican tasting a bit more complex and deep than the other two.
Again, the differences here are subtle.
In Shortbread
This might have been the most surprising of the “tests” I ran.
Here’s what I did:
- I made a batch of Chris’s (from Café Sucré Farine) vanilla bean shortbread
- I divided the creamed butter, powdered sugar and salt among three bowls, mixing in the vanillas and then the flour/corn starch mixture by hand.
- I added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla to what ended up being about 7 oz of dough per batch.
Honestly, I could detect almost no difference among the three batches of cookies. When warm, and even when cool, the Tahitian batch had more of a vanilla aroma–sweetly vanilla–than the other two, but flavor-wise I really couldn’t taste the difference. I tried, too. Often. Heh.
I really do wish that I had made a plain batch of cookies to test against since I really couldn’t taste the differences at all.
Making Homemade Vanilla Extract with Different Types of Vanilla Beans
The good news about making your own vanilla extract is that you can use all the types of vanilla beans to make one Super Complex Vanilla Extract.
You can of course make your extract out of all of one type of bean, but why not have fun and make custom blends? Use a combination of Madagascar and Mexican beans. Or Madagascar and Tahitian. Have fun with it!
How Many Beans to Use In Your Extract
I like my vanilla to be very strong so I can use less, so I tend to use 6 beans per 8 oz of alcohol. I used 2 each of Madagascar, Mexican and Tahitian beans.
You can get away with using 4 beans per 8 ounces of alcohol, but the flavor won’t be quite as concentrated.
How to Make Vanilla Extract
Making vanilla is very easy.
- Buy vanilla beans. Cut a slit in each bean to have vanilla specks in your extract or leave them whole if you don’t want specks.
- Add your vanilla beans to a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Fill the jar with your choice of alcohol. You can use vodka, rum, or Bourbon whisky. (NOTE: the “Bourbon” in Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla has nothing to do with Bourbon whisky. Rather, Bourbon is a nod to French Colonial times and refers to any vanilla grown around the Indian Ocean.)
- Wait. Your vanilla will be ready in 4-6 weeks. Shake your jar once or twice a week (not truly necessary, but it will make you feel like you’re doing something besides waiting)
NOTE: Store your vanilla in a cool, dark place like a cabinet or pantry. It will last pretty much indefinitely, and you can top off your extract with more alcohol and throw an extra bean or two in every year or so.
Why Some Mexican Vanilla is “Shady”
The reason I thought Mexican vanilla extract is shady is because some of it is. (And here’s where I get sad for Mexico again).
Once folks began growing vanilla outside of Mexico and figured out how to pollinate it, Mexico pretty much got squeezed out of the vanilla business.
To try to compete. they started selling artificial/imitation vanilla and added extract of tonka bean to it.
Tonka bean extract smells and tastes like Extreme Vanilla, but apparently it has also been shown to damage the livers of lab animals, so the FDA banned it in the US.
If you buy Mexican vanilla and it is super-cheap (like $5 for a liter or something), it is probably flavored with tonka bean.
The good news is that it tastes kind of awesome. The bad news is that it’s illegal in the US and might damage your liver (although I think you’d pretty much have to drink it like soda for it to be harmful).
Real Mexican vanilla tastes super awesome, but it’s not cheap. The cost is pretty much on par with Madagascar and Tahitian extracts.
Vanilla Taste Test of the Different Types of Vanilla: The Take-Aways
- The differences among the three types of vanilla are very subtle, although I do think that Tahitian alone isn’t worth using in baking or cooking, unless you’re making perfume. The Sonoma Syrups folks have it right, I think: mix Madagascar Bourbon and Tahitian vanillas for both a well-rounded vanilla flavor and a vanilla-forward aroma. If you happen to own some Vanilla Bean Crush, try mixing it with the Mexican vanilla, too. I’ll probably do that on my own, and if the combination is life-changing, I will let you know.
- Buy real vanilla, made from vanilla beans. Artificial vanilla is really too one-note and rather bull-in-a-china-shop-ish. It’s clumsy vanilla. For vanilla flavor, I really don’t think you can go wrong with either Madagascar Bourbon or the Mexican. Yes, the Mexican is a touch deeper and more mysterious, but again, the difference is fairly subtle and you might not even be able to tell the two apart if you don’t have them side by side.
- At the end of the day, really only one of my preconceived notions held up: Tahitian vanilla is all about the aroma. Not that it doesn’t also taste good–it has a lovely, floral flavor. As to Madagascar Vanilla being the gold standard of vanillas, all I have to say about that is that is that the beans (and their natural pollinators) originated in Mexico.
And that is pretty much all I have to say about that. I hope you find this post useful and if you’ve ever wondered about the differences among different types of vanilla, now you know.
Thanks so much for reading, and have a lovely day.
Carolyn says
This is so detailed and informative. Will you hate me if I say I buy whatever vanilla is on sale (real, not imitation)?
Jennifer Field says
Of course not. =) Sales are good! lol
Dionne Baldwin says
You did some really good vanilla testing!! I am so grateful that you shared this with us. I had no idea what goes on behind the scenes of the vanilla industry. 🙁
These shortbread cookies are making me really really want one! (One dozen- just to clarify.)
Jennifer Field says
Well after all, they are *small…!* I barely touched on vanilla production, but it does make some interesting reading!
Jason Shriner @ The Aubergine Chef says
Thank you Jenni for doing the legwork on this! I feel like I might be an undertaster or something because I never detected much of a difference between the three. (Also maybe because I think tuna fish salad and salami taste amazing on a sandwich). This is an incredible resource and I hope to see more! Would you consider doing one on cocoa powders? I’m in the Bensdorp camp, but lots of people swear by Valrhona.
Jennifer Field says
I shall make no comment about tuna and salami on a sandwich. Enjoy your “Surf&Turf!” LOL
I will absolutely give this a whirl with cocoa powder, although there are so many to choose from! I will have to limit myself or things could get crazy!
Willow (Will Cook For Friends) says
This post is awesome — I am such huge fan of vanilla extract (especially all the different kinds), and this is totally something I would do. My husband and I really like the Tahitian vanilla, and I use it all the time for more “delicate” tasting things like whipped cream. For more robust flavor, though, I like to use madagascar or mexican. Thanks for sharing your results!
Jennifer Field says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It was a lot of fun to do. I think vanilla is underrated–sounds like you agree!
Jamie says
First of all – fascinating! I knew there was a difference but have never read any true comparisons. Now I want to try it. I know here in Nantes I can actually find the vanilla beans from different places. I was also sent some vanilla beans from India a few years ago (am still using them) so that would be interesting, too.
Second – you are hysterical and make learning fun!
Third – I am now craving vanilla pudding.
Thanks for doing this in the name of science 😉
Jennifer Field says
Well, someone had to do it! And now I want to get some of those Indian vanilla beans!
Someone asked “what kind of vanilla do they use to make vanilla extract?” Just plain old vanilla that isn’t necessarily labeled Madagascar Bourbon or Mexican or whatever. And I have no idea…
PS Vanilla pudding is the best. =)
Judi says
Are these better than making your own extract with beans and bourbon?
Jennifer Field says
I doubt that they are better, but they are probably more consistent, flavor-wise, Judi. I have a batch of homemade working right now that is a mix of all three beans in some cheap vodka. I might do a taste comparison just for fun. =)
ceca says
Nice article.
Several years ago, Cook’s Illustrated did a comparison using real and artificial vanilla for different applications: something cold (icecream? not sure), yellow cake and a cookie. Their conclusion was that for baked goods that reach very high internal temperatures, many flavor compounds burn off and the fine nuances are lost. For cookies, shortbread and similar, the testers actually preferred artificial vanilla (I guess that should also be true for caramel sauce, since it gets stupidly hot during preparation). For ice creams/puddings/custards, no contest, real vanilla was miles ahead.
Jennifer Field says
I could see how vanillin would stick around longer. Most of my baked goods only get to an internal temperature of around 200F, and I don’t consider that particularly high. With caramel though, I wait and add the vanilla after it has cooled down quite a bit. It’s a good thing we have those Cook’s Illustrated folks around–they never tire of testing!
Monica says
I absolutely loved this article, you’re hilarious. I used mexican vanilla, first time ever, last month and I can’t get enough of it. It tastes like there’s something else in it, not just vanilla. The kind I bought is Molinas, tested and fda approved no coumarin (or whatever it is) but made in Mexico. I’m hooked on it, I love the deeper darker flavor..even my girls noticed the difference in pancakes lol.
Thanks for sharing, I finally know it’s just as good as any other vanilla. Now if I can just remember where I bought it, I’d buy a whole case.
Jennifer Field says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. Yes, I’m a Mexican vanilla Super Fan! Your girls have very good palates to be able to tell the difference in pancakes!d
Chris @ The Café Sucré Farine says
Hi Jenni! Thanks for the link. So happy you enjoyed these cookies. They look wonderful – I’d kind of forgotten about them. Now you’ve got me craving shortbread 🙂 Love your comparisons of vanillas, I had no idea about much of this!
Jennifer Field says
When I was looking for cookie recipes to try out the different vanillas, yours came up on the first page, and I couldn’t *not* use it! Love them, Chris!
Victor says
Riveting read! Now I want to get aholda some ‘Mexican’ vanilla beans (after first getting a french press for coffee & cocoa beans, hehh).
My primary baking goal right now involves acquiescing some legitimate extract, flavor, or essential oils (or perhaps even imitation flavoring[s] if the taste/aroma seems spot-on or sufficiently close thereto) from\of the flesh (not seeds) of pumpkins—specifically, those types of squash used in pumpkin pies or canned pumpkin purée. (Obviously the flesh consistency of the derived squash for this purpose does not matter, although presumably the application of high heat could destroy certain molecular compounds responsible for its final taste albeit probably not from internal temperatures reached during the normal process of baking).
The difficulty in this lies in the fact that *pumpkin pie* extracts and the like are abound (even though many are falsely labeled simply as “pumpkin [extract]”. So far I have identified one product on Amazon.com that has been reviewed to the tune of anything other than “pumpkin pie”, and another maybe (from a vendor which I shall phone tomorrow).
(In case you’re wondering, I intend on using this initially in a pumpkin pie recipe that I am perfecting).
Jennifer Field says
Hi there, Victor! Glad you liked the article. Will be interesting to see if you can find anything that approaches the flavor of the pumpkin itself and not the spices that are usually associated with the “flavor” of pumpkin pie.
Would love to see/hear about your perfected pumpkin pie!
Victor says
Thanks!! =)
To whom it may concern, three contenders I am mulling over:
http://shop.lorannoils.com/candy/super-strength-flavors/1-ounce-and-larger-sizes/pumpkin-flavor
http://vapingunderground.com/threads/smug-juice-naturally-extracted-pumpkin-flavor-of-the-month.22351/
http://www.suttonsbaytrading.com/pumpkin-flavor.html
Two of them are identified as “candy oil” (whatever one can glean from this description?).
P.S. Has you ever been commended, Ms. Jennifer Field, on the swiftness with which you not only accept your reader’s posts but immediately leave a thoughtful response? This particular page/article is over a year old (though the most recently prior my post, just a few weeks), yet you replied to my comment in just 20mins!! o_0
Jennifer Field says
Candy oil (I think) means that it won’t lose its flavor at high heats (250F+) I do try to be as timely as possible in responding to comments, Victor. Sometimes I do better than others!
I own a LorAnn lemon oil that tastes like Pledge, so be aware of that. Not sure what that means for the pumpkin flavor… lol
I’ll check out these links; I appreciate your posting them!
Peggy says
Thank you for your post! I learned a lot! I use vanilla extract from Mexico. I bought a bottle for a niece and my husband said ‘vanilla from Tahiti is better.’ Uh, and how do you know that? In 68 he (a teen) was in Tahiti with the family and they went to a plantation that made it. He says he can still smell it which proves your point….it has quite an aroma. LOL! I googled ‘the comparison’ and found your post! The town where I live in Oregon has a med size Hispanic community so the grocery stores carry a large selection of Hispanic goods. That’s where I buy my vanilla! It truly is amazing!
Jennifer Field says
Wow–I bet a Tahitian vanilla plantation smells incredible! I really am partial to Mexican vanilla, although I do like to use a blend for general baking and cooking. I have some Sonoma Syrups Vanilla Bean Crush that is my current favorite: a mix of Tahitian and Madagascar. Lovely! So glad you stopped in, Peggy!
Natty says
This was a great article! Usually, as much as I love hitting food blogs for recipes, the long-winded, over-drawn stories about the recipes are a major turn-off. However, you made your post absolutely informative, very interesting, and just really cool to read- and for that I am grateful! You totally opened my mind up about vanilla- I have baked for fun since childhood, did 5 years of culinary in high school, and totally adore food. I am rather picky about reading about food, and you do it well! Thanks so much for a great article! 🙂
Jennifer Field says
You just made my day, Natty, and I haven’t even had my coffee yet! I love writing articles like this, and you can find lots under the Fundamental Fridays and What Can I Do For You Wednesdays posts as well as in the top tab under “Fundamentals.” I really appreciate your comment and I’m so glad you enjoyed the article! Have a wonderful day!
Abbey says
I bought a vanilla pod for the first time (from Madagascar) and when I opened the package it smelled *just* like Play Dough! I thought it was rubbed down with some wax or something. Interesting that you think vanilla extract smells like play-dough as well…
Cool experiment, but the additives in the Madagascar vanilla make it very inaccurate IMO. The added sugar and other ingredients undoubtedly affect the taste/flavor/depth/etc.
Jennifer Field says
Hi, Abbey! Thanks so much for stopping in. I always appreciate comments!
You’re correct that I used Madagascar vanilla bean paste versus regular extracts of Tahitian and Mexican, and in a straight up taste test, I will admit that it might be a bit like comparing apples and oranges. However, once dispersed in a recipe in a small amount, I think the comparison still works just fine since the other two were in mixes that also contained extra sugar (the pudding and the cookies, at least). If I were doing a scientific experiment, then I of course would have made sure to use the same form of all three. But in the context of a blog post, I’m confident that my results represent the similarities and differences among the three and that they would hold up if I tried this again using three extracts.
That Sonoma Syrups Vanilla Bean Crush (still my favorite, 2 1/2 years later) smells freakishly of Play-Doh! =)
Lydia says
Thanks. I sincerely appreciate the information.
Jennifer Field says
My pleasure, Lydia! I’m glad you found it useful!
manga hill says
I loved this article,it was a fun & informative read. It answered my googled question on the differences of the vanilla beans quite thoroughly, thank you. But I got so tickled about all the “vanilla smells like Play-Doh” comments! No one ever suggested that the really smart marketers at Hasbro intentionally scented Play-Doh to smell like that heart-warming, pleasant childhood memory-associated smell of vanilla – cookies baking in the oven (even if only the Pillsbury roll or pre-formed cookies!). Maybe to persuade (OK con) the Moms to buy it for the kids anyway despite the resulting mess it will inevitably be. 🙂
Jennifer Field says
I’m so glad you found this post useful! And you could be right. It may be that Play Doh smells like vanilla and not the other way around! lol =)
Tina says
You should do a test where you dab each vanilla on your skin, let them dry down like perfume, and tell us which one smells the best 🙂
Jennifer Field says
LOL Tina! I shall leave that one to you. Please report back with your findings! =)
Carol says
Hi Jennifer,
I really enjoyed your reviews of the different vanilla’s we find out there! I had to giggle though when you were describing the note as a “Bass” note rather than a “Base” note.
I’m sure Bass is great but just not with vanilla!
Thanks for your great review!
Jennifer Field says
Thank uou for your comment. Bass (pronounced base) is the correct spelling for the term meaning “low” as in musical notes. Base as an adjective means crude, which was not my intent at all. It is a bass drum, not a base drum.
Carol says
Oh ok.
I was thinking Base Note as in Perfume and fragrance meaning The base and middle notes together are the main theme of a perfume. Which could in theory transfer to a extract. Which I’m sure must have a Top Note, Middle Note and The Base note. And when I thought of Bass I thought of the fish. Hahaa
Have a good weekend. 🙂
Jennifer Field says
Funny that I was thinking in musical terms and I’m not even a musician–and you were thinking in perfume terms! In the end, both terms mean the same thing, except for no fish involved! lol Hope you have a good weekend as well!
Michele says
Let me add my grateful thank-you for this post to the others. I have been buying Costco’s vanilla for years as I make Mollie Katzen’s granola almost weekly for my husband and the recipe requires a tablespoon of vanilla. I looked up “vanilla planifolia” at last, hoping I had not been using an inferior product, and feel good about it now!
Jennifer Field says
I’m glad you found the post useful! I really should jump on the granola making wagon, too. You’ve inspired me!
Melissa says
I have been making my own extract for about 18 months now (so, a novice, really, since it takes 6 months to make a really terrific, strong extract), but I have only purchased grade A Madagascar beans off Amazon, and had wondered if I should save some money and move down to grade B or move to a different bean, like Tahitian. I’m thrilled to have found your taste testing post comparing all three. What a treasure, and it answered all of my questions as far as pros and cons. Really well done. Thank you so much for taking the time to experiment and post your results! Wonderfully helpful. Truly.
Jennifer Field says
Hi, Melissa! Thanks so much for the comment, and I’m so pleased you liked the post!
Honestly, I think the grades of vanilla are based on size and plumpness. For my money, if I’m just going to coax out flavors with alcohol anywayf, I think I’d save a bit of cash and go with a bit lower grade. Maybe just slit them in half and then possibly quarters, lengthwise, to expose more of the insides to the alcohol.
I also found this article. They of course want you to buy their premium beans, so I’m not sure I would take their recommendation to use premium beans as gospel. Still, it’s a good article and talks about using beans from different origins to come up with different flavors. https://www.beanilla.com/blog/homemade-vanilla-extract
I really love the extract I made using equal numbers of Tahitian, Mexican and Madagascar beans. I heartily approve of your experimentation! If you are really digging mixing different beans, maybe one day you will go into the vanilla extract business! That would be kind of awesome, because not everyone is willing to take the time to blend their own vanilla. You could corner the market!
Alissa says
So this may or may not have been my most favorite blog post I’ve ever read. I loved how detailed you were and I was totally nerding out and got super giddy about buying a bunch of different kinds.
I usually make my own, but am almost out and forgot to start a new batch so I need something to last me the next six months and this was super helpful. Thank you so much!
Also, have you noticed a difference in the types/quality of alcohol used to make the extract? I usually use mid-shelf vodka, but am wondering if a higher/lower quality vodka would make a difference. I’ve also been interested in trying it with bourbon or rum instead…
Jennifer Field says
This may or may not be my favorite comment ever, Alissa! I do think that extracts made with higher quality alcohol will have less of a harsh edge, but we usually use so little (plus heating which burns off the majority of the alcohol) that it most likely won’t make a huge difference. I think if you decide to play with rums, bourbon, etc, save those fancy ones for recipes where the vanilla flavor will really shine. Like Creme brulee, Creme Anglaise, pastry cream, etc. Have fun with all the vanilla!
Dalia Munoz says
I loved this article! Thank you Jenni!
Jennifer Field says
I’m so pleased! Happy vanilla-ing!
Mandi says
Oh my goodness! This article has been very enlightening! I also only bought Costco vanilla but they increased the price so much that I am now looking at other brands. I always research brands on Amazon as they usually have the most options. Yet Amazon raised more questions like what’s the difference between bourbon and Madagascar vanilla? Lol. I really got a laugh out of that one! I researched Mexican vanilla and got dubious results as well because of the Tonka bean additive. Now I REALLY know the what Mexican vanilla is, and Tahitian as well (didn’t get that far in my research when your article popped up). I really would like to try a good Mexican vanilla and the Sonoma one as well. Reading all the comments, I was reminded that you can make your own vanilla extract. I may try that out in the future. For some reason vanilla beans (other than the ice cream-my favorite flavor) kind of scared me. I don’t know why but I was hesitant about them. I think it was all the bull I was fed on a tv show or something. “High quality vanilla beans”, “buy from a reputable seller” and a few other bits that freaked me out along with “EPENSIVE”. I am going to do my own research on beans and form my own conclusions. Thank you so much for writing this article!
Jennifer Field says
I am so glad you got so much out of this–and that’s why I write these kinds of posts. That, and because I do love me some vanilla! Sonoma Crush is still my favorite, but I am also a huge fan of Mexican. Enjoy your trying and experimenting!
Deb Rogers says
Thanks so much! In the 4 years since I’ve been using Madagascar Bourbon vanilla paste, it’s gone from $36/quart to $150-ish per quart now, so I’m exploring other options. Good to know that even though I love my NM, I can get (practically speaking) indistinguishable flavor with a lower price tag. Can’t wait for those crops to rebound!!
Jennifer Field says
You and me both! Prices really are crazy!
Wendy says
I love side by side comparisons and you did a great job. However, I have to disagree with you on the Tahitian Vanilla Bean. To me, it is a totally different flavor than the other two vanillas, it is not just about aroma. In fact, my favorite vanilla ice cream is made with Tahitian Vanilla Bean. And maybe because I use the actual vanilla bean?!? Just something to think about, I would not want people missing out on a truly distinct and wonderful flavor because they think it is only good for aroma.
Jennifer Field says
Fair point. When I make my own vanilla, I try to use a mix of all three types of beans. They all bring their own characteristics to the party.
Kimberly Hart says
I almost jumped up from my seat when you mentioned Play-Doh. Seriously. I thought I was the only one. I remember opening up a bottle of vanilla bean paste for the very first time, and thinking… wow… this smells like my childhood. It smells like… Play-Doh. Is something wrong with us? Lol.
Jennifer Field says
Hahaha!! Someone else pointed out awhile ago that maybe the Play-Doh people made their product vanilla scented rather than vanilla smelling like Play-Doh. I guess they might have a point, but I don’t smell Play-Doh and think VANILLA! I smell good vanilla and think Play-Doh! lol 🙂
Jeanette says
Mysterious Play-doh. I love that phrase. Great job on the post.
Jennifer Field says
Glad you enjoyed it, Jeanette! And does Play Doh smell like vanilla? Or does vanilla smell like Play Doh? That is the chicken and egg question of the day! lol
Jill says
So your vanilla comparison post is a couple years old now. Hope you don’t mind such a delayed comment! I bought some Mexican vanilla . . . and it was cheap, so I know what that probably means. 🙁 Anyway, to me it almost had a cinnamon flavour. Rather odd, huh? Maybe I should toss the rest of it? Anyway, your blog post was informative and I appreciate the info. you shared about your vanilla taste tests. 🙂
(Waiting for our local healthy pantry to receive their order of vanilla beans!)
Jennifer Field says
Hey, Jill! So glad you enjoyed the post. It was a fun experiment. I’ve actually started making my own vanilla using all three types of beans together. It’s really good! And your Mexican vanilla is probably tonka, but you already knew that. I can’t imagine it’s awful for you unless you drink it like soda, and I am liking the idea of a cinnamony-vanilla. That’s how I flavor my coffee! Thanks for telling me about the cinnamon flavor–I didn’t even know that was a thing!
Angeline says
Hi Jenni. I just read your great post about different types of vanilla extracts!!! I’m so glad I found your post because I was wondering about the differences of the 3 types!!! I always use either Madagascar bourbon or Mexican in my baking. I haven’t tried Tahitian yet and was curious about the taste and smell of it. After reading your post, now I know. Still, I’d like to try the Tahitian. Perhaps, I should do some experiments like you….Lol..!!!! Again, thanks for giving us the homemade vanilla extract recipe!!!!
Jennifer Field says
Hey, Angeline! I’m so glad the post was helpful to you. Have fun experimenting with different proportions of different beans so you can make your own perfect vanilla extract! 🙂
Disillusioned Baker says
Jennifer, would you please re-evaluate and update your article for Fall, 2019?
In October, 2019, I looked up Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract on Williams-Sonoma’s website and the recent reviews posted within the past 12 months bitterly complained about their reduction in quality. One reviewer posted “I have used this product (N-M Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla) for over 10 years. My recent purchases through Williams-Sonoma have been very disappointing. The product is much thinner and the aroma is weaker than the previous the bottles I’ve bought.”
I also looked up Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract on Watkins’ website and again, the reviewers complained about the reduction in quality, some posted as long as 2 years ago! (Perhaps Watkins was the first brand to start altering their original recipe for producing vanilla extract.)
With the extreme shortage of quality vanilla beans, it seems that even the most trusted brands for vanilla extracts are now producing inferior products…and at higher prices.
And even if I were to start making my own vanilla extract, how would I know that I am purchasing quality vanilla beans? Could you tell me what to look for? Could you tell who to buy them from?
An update and your expert advice would be so much appreciated.
Jennifer Field says
Good points all. I wrote this post several years ago. I wish I could find some “old” vanilla and compare it to the newer vanilla across brands. I will see what I can come up with for you. As a general rule, I don’t get too worked up over the type/grade of beans for making extract since the alcohol will extract the flavor regardless. For fresh use, my vote is Grade A if you can find them and want to pay a premium. But as you’ve noted, since folks seem to be getting away with making less concentrated vanilla because of cost, even using Grade B beans in a higher concentration will yield a richer homemade vanilla than waht you can purchase.
Dave G says
i was looking for a way to taste test vanilla extracts i have made. the milk idea seems to fit. i have re-used beans and wondered if the flavor was lost like in a second go round in tea bags. i will try it out tomorrow. i mostly make ice cream and love the flavor mix of the beans. haven’t had mexican in a long time though. when i was younger and walked into mexico, i bought a bottle and did notice the cinnamon flavor. i think i will add some to the next batch to see what i get. you can speed up the process of extracting by using an insta pot. done in a hour, usable in 3 days. really enjoyed reading about your experiences and flavor testing, much appreciated.
Jennifer Field says
Dave, using the InstantPot is a fantastic idea! I read an interesting article by Stella Parks on Serious Eats a couple of weeks ago about how our homemade DIY vanilla extract is an infusion rather than a true extract, but I bet infusing under pressure and heat up the complexity. Here’s the article if you’re interested: https://www.seriouseats.com/2019/12/diy-vanilla-extract.html
Also, I bet there is a great story behind “…when I was younger and walked into Mexico…” 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I’m glad you enjoyed the article. Let me know how your continued experimentation goes!
Dorothy A. says
Wow , thats some serious taste testing you’ve done and it just goes to prove you’re never too old to learn something new ! I am in my 70’s and have always loved baking for my family, it was cheaper for me to bake my own cookies and cakes for our children when they were little than to purchase at the grocery store. Lately I’ve looked into baking soda and baking powder only to discover facts about aluminum sulfate and how a popular brand baking soda are made. I’ve been interested in making my own vanilla and if it wasn’t for my granddaughter sending me an expensive Tihitian pure vanilla bean paste I’d never would have known of it’s existence! Guess I should ask for all three vanilla beans you talked about in this article for my next Christmas gift, get my hubby to buy me the vodka !! The only thing I thought I notice with the smell from the Tihitian paste seemed like a waxy smell and not a really vanilla scent, ? Thank you for information on the different brands of vanilla!
Jennifer Field says
I’m so glad you found the post helpful, and thank you for taking the time to comment! Interesting about the “waxy” scent you got off the Tahitian. I guess it can vary from brand to brand, even when it’s the same kind of bean. That’s always going to be the case with a natural product, and it’s more pronounced with 1 type of bean rather than a blend.