Q: I have two types of grape plants: the sweet green seedless and red seedless. To answer the second question about the amount to be used in recipes when using Mexican vanilla: If you do have the genuine Mexican vanilla, you should use less of it than the recipe calls for because it is stronger than the regularly available vanilla. Tainted samples were found in the following brands of Mexican vanilla: Molina, Exotle, Chila, Tropical, La Vencedora, Premier, Tropical World and Paisa. The rarity of the plant and the intricate process of cultivating, curing and drying make the price of the true vanilla bean and its extracts expensive. Genuine vanilla beans from Mexico are produced from delicate orchid flowers, which are naturally pollinated (using melipona bees and hummingbirds) and hand pollinated. Pure vanilla extract uses 35% alcohol and 13.35 to 15 ounces vanilla bean per gallon of liquid.”Ĭoumarin is a dark substance produced by the tonka bean, indigenous to Mexico and a member of the pea family. If the product is FDA regulated, the label has to be in English and its content specified. When the label is in Spanish, it’s imitation.

“Imitation vanilla costs about $1.99 a quart, whereas true vanilla costs as high as $2.25 for an ounce here. According to Juan San Mames, owner of Vanilla Imports in San Francisco, although only experts can tell the presence of coumarin through smell and color, there are easy indications to pinpoint imitation vanilla that contains the filler substance:

Molina mexican vanilla