Editing Vanilla extract (section)

{{short description|Culinary liquid made from vanilla pods in ethanol solution}}
[[File:VanillaExtract.png|thumb|Vanilla extract in a clear glass vial]]

'''Vanilla extract''' is a [[Solution (chemistry)|solution]] made by [[maceration (food)|macerating]] and [[percolation|percolating]] [[vanilla|vanilla pods]] in a solution of [[ethanol]] and [[water]]. It is considered an essential ingredient in many Western desserts, especially baked goods like cakes, cookies, brownies, and cupcakes, as well as custards, ice creams, and puddings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.saveur.com/how-vanilla-took-over-the-world|title=How vanilla became the world's favorite flavor|publisher=Saveur|author=Lior Lev Sercarz|date=3 October 2016|access-date=9 February 2018}}</ref> Although its primary [[Flavoring|flavor compound]] is [[vanillin]], pure vanilla extract contains several hundred additional flavor compounds, which are responsible for its complex, deep flavor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/the-flavor-rundown-natural-vs-artificial-flavors/|title=The Flavor Rundown: Natural vs. Artificial Flavors|author=C. Rose Kennedy|date=2017|publisher=Harvard University|access-date=9 February 2018}}</ref> By contrast, artificial vanilla flavor is typically  made up of only artificially derived [[vanillin]], which is frequently made from a by-product of the wood pulp industry.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-04-23|title=Rapid Differentiation between Natural and Artificial Vanilla Flavorings for Determining Food Fraud|url=https://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/signature-series/rapid-differentiation-between-natural-and-artificial-vanilla-flavorings-for-determining-food-fraud/|access-date=2020-11-03|website=Food Safety Magazine}}</ref>

Vanilla extract is the most common form of vanilla used today. [[Madagascar|Malagasy]], [[Mexico|Mexican]], [[Tahiti]]an, [[Indonesia]]n, and [[Ugandan]] vanilla beans are the main [[vanilla bean#Cultivars|varieties]] used today. The term "Bourbon vanilla" refers to the vanilla beans' provenance as being from the Bourbon Islands, most commonly Madagascar but also [[Mauritius]] and [[Réunion]]. The name comes from the period when the island of [[Réunion]] was ruled by the [[Bourbon kings]] of France and has no relation to [[Bourbon whiskey]].