Vanilla extract's history begins near the equator with the origin of the vanilla bean. A gap of about 300 years separates the origin of the vanilla orchid crop with the origin of vanilla extract. The extract combines the essence of the pure vanilla bean with alcohol to get a vanilla flavor. It is seen today, along with whole vanilla beans, on grocery store shelves throughout the world.

History of the Vanilla Bean
The vanilla bean (technically a long capsule) as a flavor source originates in Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico coast. The Totonaca Indians were the first to grow the vanilla orchid; they used its beans for a variety of medicinal purposes and in rituals. The Aztecs then conquered the Totonacans and took over the growth of the orchids. The Aztecs were the first to use vanilla as a flavoring, often to flavor cacao drinks. The Spanish landed in Mexico at the beginning of the 16th century and brought vanilla back to Spain where the knowledge of the vanilla bean soon spread worldwide.

Inventing Vanilla Extract
While vanilla flavoring had been used for several hundred years, it wasn't until 1847 that the liquid extract form was invented. According to "The Story of a Pantry Shelf," a 1925 book that archives the history of grocery items, a woman came into chemist Joseph Burnett's Boston store and asked him to make a vanilla flavoring for her. Burnett bought expensive vanilla beans from New York, went into his laboratory and came out with the invention of vanilla extract. Burnett later opened the Joseph Burnett Company, which specialized in flavoring extracts like his original vanilla creation.

The Process
Pure vanilla extract combines pure vanilla beans with alcohol. Imitation vanilla extract combines pure and synthetic vanilla with alcohol. According to "The Joy of Baking," vanilla extract requires whole vanilla beans be steeped for several months in a solution of water and alcohol. Pure vanilla extract must contain 35 percent alcohol for every one gallon of water and have at least 13.35 ounces of vanilla steeped in the mixture.

Today
Vanilla beans today are grown throughout the world, in four major areas that give each type of vanilla a different flavor: Madagascar, Indonesia, Mexico and Tahiti. Madagascar produces the most vanilla, while Tahiti produces the least. Ninety percent of vanilla is produced by the crops in Indonesia and Madagascar alone. These crops help produce the vanilla extract seen in grocery stores. Because the flavor of the extract is so concentrated, it should only be used sparingly so as not to overwhelm a particular recipe.