Tonka bean
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| Image:Tonka Beans.jpg Tonka Beans
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| Dipteryx odorata |
The tonka bean is the seed of Dipteryx odorata, a legume tree in the neotropics, of the Fabaceae family. The seed is black and wrinkled in appearance, with a smooth brown interior. It is known mostly for its fragrance, which is reminiscent of vanilla, almonds, cinnamon, and cloves: it has sometimes been used commercially as a substitute for vanilla. It is also sometimes used in perfume and was commonly used in tobacco before being banned.
The seed contains coumarin, and for this reason its use in food is banned in the US by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Coumarin can be lethal in large doses. Many anti-coagulant prescription drugs are based on more powerful forms of coumarin.
The plant has its origin in Northern South America (Guyana, Orinoco region). Main producers today are Venezuela and also Nigeria.
The word tonka is taken from the Galibi (Carib) tongue spoken by natives of French Guiana; it also appears in Tupi, another language of the same region, as the name of the tree. The old genus name, Coumarouna, was formed from another Tupi name of the tonka tree, kumarú. The latter also lies behind the name of tonka's main constituent, coumarin.
The use of tonka beans (which was never high), has further decreased, since coumarin is toxic and possibly carcinogenic. In spite of its hypnotic fragrance, the spice is not mentioned often in cookbooks. Some books suggest adding minute amounts of it to the dough of cakes or cookies; sweets based on coconut, walnuts or poppy are another possible field of application. Tonka beans are sometimes suggested as a substitute for bitter almonds, especially in countries where usage of bitter almonds is restricted or prohibited by national food laws. Tonka makes an even better substitute for Middle Eastern mahlab (cherry kernels). It is also used as a flavouring in nasal snuff and pipe tobacco.
External links
- CFR Title 21, section 189.130 Code of Federal Regulations section prohibiting coumarin and tonka beans
- Spice Pages: Tonka BeansTemplate:Tree-stub
de:Tonkabohneeo:Tonka fabo fr:Fève tonka nl:Tonkaboon
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
