Encompassing the delightfully sugared scent of vanilla, vanillin permits to create a natural vanilla effect. It is a synthetic gourmand note of sweet, almondy facets—decadent, smooth and less animalic than vanilla.
The decadent scent of vanilla derives from the vanilla bean plant (Vanilla planifolia), which is native to Mexico. Today, vanilla is mostly grown in Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico, the Comoro Islands, Tahiti and China. It is said that the vanilla pods only emit their perfume after having “sweated” for months under woolen cloths. As their aroma wafts and mellows, vanilla crystals begin to form—creating the fragrance we know and love. A process of extraction using volatile solvents produces the concrete, absolute and resinoid.
While vanilla itself has been used since the Aztecs first began mixing it into chocolate, vanillin wasn’t isolated until 1858 when French biochemist Theodore Nicolas Gobley crystallized it from vanilla extract.
When first introduced to Madagascar, the insect responsible for pollinating the vanilla bean plant was not present. As a result, pollination was done by hand by women known as “matchmakers.” Simply put, vanillin is the natural aroma that develops in vanilla pods. It corresponds to about 2% of the total mass of the pod and has a scent and taste very similar to that of vanilla. It is intoxicatingly sweet and thus reminiscent of the vanilla sugar we find in pastries.
The most beautiful tribute to Shalimar is undoubtedly the one made by Ernest Beaux, Creator of Chanel N ° 5, who exclaimed: "With this packet of vanilla, I would have just been able to make a sorbet, while Jacques Guerlain turned it into a masterpiece!"
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