This substance, called castoreum, generally appears as a brown, murky color and its function is to act as a scent-marking agent for the beaver.Īfter reading all about where does vanilla flavoring come from, do read our other articles on where does imitation vanilla come from and where does feta cheese come from? What is artificial vanilla flavoring made from?Īs explained in the introduction, musky and sweet-scented castoreum from the castor gland is an anal secretion of the beaver.Ĭastoreum gets its vanilla scent mainly because of the beaver’s diet, which includes leaves and bark instead of meats or hard-to-digest foods that can put pressure on the digestive system. The vanilla flavoring, which is mentioned in a national geographic article, comes from a chemical compound called castoreum This is secreted by the castor sacs (which are located near the anal glands) of a beaver, between the pelvis and the base of the tail.

Generally, the vanilla flavor is extracted from a solution of vanilla pods, which are macerated and percolated in a solution of ethanol and water.Īrtificial vanilla flavoring, which we use widely when making cakes, cookies and ice cream, or add to a latte, comes from a chemical compound called vanillin, which is made from an aromatic oil found in the lignin of tree bark. It is extracted from beans that only grow in Madagascar. Madagascar vanilla is said to produce the best quality vanilla beans in the world. Recently, a video of a man claiming that he would have ‘no more vanilla’ ever again went viral on the internet after he searched ‘where does vanilla flavoring come from?’

Where does vanilla extract come from