page_title: Vanillin
section_title: Occurrence
hierarchical_section_title: Vanillin / Occurrence
context_page_description: Vanillin is an organic compound with the molecular formula C₈H₈O₃. It is a phenolic aldehyde. Its functional groups include aldehyde, hydroxyl, and ether. It is the primary component of the extract of the vanilla bean. Synthetic vanillin is now used more often than natural vanilla extract as a flavoring agent in foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals.
  Vanillin and ethylvanillin are used by the food industry; ethylvanillin is more expensive, but has a stronger note. It differs from vanillin by having an ethoxy group instead of a methoxy group.
  Natural vanilla extract is a mixture of several hundred different compounds in addition to vanillin. Artificial vanilla flavoring is often a solution of pure vanillin, usually of synthetic origin. Because of the scarcity and expense of natural vanilla extract, synthetic preparation of its predominant component has long been of interest. The first commercial synthesis of vanillin began with the more readily available natural compound eugenol. Today, artificial vanillin is made either from guaiacol or lignin.
context_section_description: Vanillin is most prominent as the principal flavor and aroma compound in vanilla. Cured vanilla pods contain about 2% by dry weight vanillin; on cured pods of high quality, relatively pure vanillin may be visible as a white dust or "frost" on the exterior of the pod.
  It is also found in Leptotes bicolor, a species of orchid native to Paraguay and southern Brazil, and the  Southern Chinese red pine.
  At lower concentrations, vanillin contributes to the flavor and aroma profiles of foodstuffs as diverse as olive oil, butter, raspberry, and lychee fruits.
  Aging in oak barrels imparts vanillin to some wines, vinegar, and spirits.
  In other foods, heat treatment generates vanillin from other compounds.  In this way, vanillin contributes to the flavor and aroma of coffee, maple syrup, and whole-grain products, including corn tortillas and oatmeal.
caption: These green seed pods contain vanillin only in its glucoside form, and lack the characteristic odor of vanilla.
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