Product Description

Vanilla essence is a manufactured liquid that tastes a bit like vanilla but contains little or no real vanillin. There are a number of ways a synthetic vanilla flavor can be made.

Natural vanilla flavor is often derived from pine bark or cloves  whilst castoreum can be used this way, 

Imitation vanilla is usually derived from crude oil. Both naturally derived essences and synthetic flavors require additional additives, such as coloring, sweeteners and preservatives to make them look, smell and be able to be used like the real thing. The outcome of these synthetic concoctions are usually thinner, lighter in color and with a weaker and less complex flavour than real extract yet it’s estimated that 98% of the world’s vanilla products are imitations.Vanilla extract, which is the most widely used flavoring agent in many baked products and dessert items, is a solution containing the compound vanillin.