Food : a brief account of its sources, constituents and uses / A. H. Church.

  • Church, A. H. (Arthur Herbert), 1834-1915.
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Food : a brief account of its sources, constituents and uses / A. H. Church. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    223/280 (page 209)
    used, but are thought to be of inferior quality. The cultivation of vanilla was introduced into the French colony of Reunion in 1817. The produce has increased from a few pounds in 1820 to nearly 500,000 lb. in 1888. The plant continues to bear until its thirtieth year, producing annually forty to fifty-five pods. Vanilla is also grown in Guadaloupe, Guiana, Java, Mauritius, Tahiti, the West Indies, etc. The pods of the various kinds of vanilla owe their rich and agreeable aroma to the presence of a white crystalline substance called vanillin. This substance is now made artificially from another natural product—coniferin, which is contained in the sapwood of pines. The artificial vanillin is not a mere imitation of the natural substance, but is absolutely identical with it. Vanilla is used to flavour cocoa, chocolate, ices, biscuits, creams, and even coffee and tea. 4. Artificial Fruit Essences.—Although there are few cases in which the exact nature of the delicate flavours of fruit has been ascertained, yet there can be little doubt that the discovery has been made in some instances. Even were this not so, still there are now known many artificial products, chiefly the so-called compound ethers, which resemble very closely indeed in taste and smell the natural flavours of certain fruits. One of the most extensively used of all these is the acetate of amyl, a com- pound ether which may be regarded as derived from vinegar and potato oil by the removal of the elements of water. The so-called essence of Jargonelle pears is a spirituous solution of the acetate of amyl: it is employed in flavouring confectionery, especially pear-drops. Unfortunately it is used too freely, and is seldom sufficiently pure for this purpose. Other compound ethers impart the flavour of other fruits to articles of confectionery, liqueurs, and foods. Apple oil is chiefly valerate of amyl, pineapple oil is butyrate of ethyl and butyrate of propyl, and grape or cognac oil is a mixture of several compound artificial ethers. Many other fiavourers of similar character have been artificially prepared : they are much used by the makers of cheap confectionery. p