Just found out most store-bought vanilla extract has barely any real vanilla in it

2 comments

2 Comments

That whole comment reads like someone got really mad about vanilla and decided to write a thesis. Can people just enjoy their sugar cookies without a whole economics lesson on the vanilla trade?

smith.ray1mo ago

You're falling for marketing hype. Real vanilla extract from actual Madagascar beans is totally fine, most of the cheap stuff uses vanillin from wood pulp or petrochemicals, but that's chemically identical anyway. Ever done a blind taste test? I guarantee you can't pick out McCormick's imitation from their "pure" extract in a baked cookie. Vanilla farmers in Madagascar still get pennies per bean while stores markup the "real" stuff 400%, so you're paying for a story not a better flavor. If you're using a tablespoon in a batch of sugar cookies, nobody's tongue is sophisticated enough to detect bean vs synthetic, especially after 350 degrees of baking.