As you might expect of an ecologist, many of my recipes involve trees. But I’m not alone! After all, the bark of the cinnamon tree flavors pumpkin pies, and the sharp aroma of hot mulled cider comes from cloves — the flower buds of a tree in the myrtle family.
And there's vanilla. Natural vanilla comes from a vine-like orchid, which gets its support by hanging from tree branches and trunks.
Native to Mexico, vanilla is now cultivated in tropical areas worldwide with labor-intensive practices. Trained workers must transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers by hand. The seed pods are then fermented, causing them to release vanillin, the active ingredient.
Because the fragrance and pharmaceutical industries also use vanillin, annual demand of over 20,000 tons has long exceeded the supply of vanilla beans.
So, chemists synthesized vanillin, using coal and oil as sources early on. But these compounds were carcinogenic, and producers needed healthier, sustainable sources.
Chemists later discovered that vanillin could be made from coniferin, found in the bark of pine trees. So now, 15% of vanillin comes from byproducts of the paper pulp manufacturing process.
In a way, this isn’t a surprise. Walk up to a Ponderosa pine tree, and take a deep breath. You'll get a strong whiff of … vanilla!
As you consider all the things you’re thankful for this holiday, maybe add trees to your list —especially when you take a bite of your favorite dessert.
