What is "vanillin"

Vanillin \Va*nil"lin\, n. (Chem.) A white crystalline aldehyde having a burning taste and characteristic odor of vanilla. It is extracted from vanilla pods, and is also obtained by the decomposition of coniferin, and by the oxidation of eugenol.

substance prepared from fruit of the vanilla plant, 1859, from vanilla + -in (2).

n. 1 The name of a chemical compound, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, which is the primary constituent of vanilla. 2 Synthetic compound used as a substitute for the extract of the vanilla bean.

n. a crystalline compound found in vanilla beans and some balsam resins; used in perfumes and flavorings

Vanillin is a phenolic aldehyde, which is an organic compound with the molecular formula CHO. 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 (–O–CHCH) instead of a methoxy group (–O–CH).

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.

Lignin-based artificial vanilla flavoring is alleged to have a richer flavor profile than oil-based flavoring; the difference is due to the presence of acetovanillone, a minor component in the lignin-derived product that is not found in vanillin synthesized from guaiacol.