What is the difference between "Pure Vanilla Extract" and the big bottles of Vanilla from Mexico?

Answer 1

Pure vanilla extract is made from vanilla beans. Vanilla flavor or imitation vanilla is made from chemicals. Those identical chemicals are found in natural vanilla and are responsible for most of its flavor, but natural vanilla is richer and more complex.

Answer 2

I am a former chef and have used both and the guy "Snow" is a drift, both are made from the Vanilla beans, in Mexico the beans are bigger and more plentiful, for Pure Extract, either Madagascar or Tahitian vanilla is used, it is a biy more expensive because of its rare availablity.

Also to the base alcohol they use for infustion is different, mostly it is the place and type of vanilla that is the biggest difference, some say the Mexican has not got the complex fruitiness or floral aroma, but I have used it in extract form and when in Mexico bought a pound of dried bean pods for $15.00 canadian.

Like Mexican cinnimon the vanilla is just not afforded the respect it deserves.

Answer 3

Mexican vanilla is the product of a large root vegetable smiler to a sweet potato not the vanilla bean the seed pod of an orchard. by the way Mexican vanilla is some what toxic in large amounts.