Hello,
This tonka issue comes to you out of my pre-scheduled order because I have become obsessed with the flavour and the history of this ingredient overnight. Some of you may know that I am completing Leith’s online course and a couple of weeks ago I was tasked with tackling my nemesis - egg-based desserts aka custards, but with the bastard addition of gelatine to make matters even harder. So instead of opting for traditional vanilla, I decided to finally pop open a tin of tonka beans that I got for my birthday couple of years ago (they’re still in date, reader, and that’s another reason to love them) and infuse the milk with a tiny nugget.
The first thing that blew me away was the scent - sweet, mellow, tiny bit almondy, tiny bit coffee-like. But then the flavour of the produced Bavarois completely blew me away. And I want you to experience it too. It’s sexier than vanilla, rich with warm spice, hint of coffee and my favourite, almond.
ABOUT Tonka Beans
What are tonka beans? Tonka beans are seeds from a native Northern South American tree - Dipteryx odorata. The seeds are part of the pea family, they are black and wrinkled and have a smooth, brown interior. The elongated seeds undergo a one-year drying period, then they’re soaked in alcohol for 24 hours. Following this procedure, the beans are once again dried and fermented and are ready to use.
What do they taste like? Tonka beans are rich with a slightly nutty (almondy) vanilla flavour, with hints of sweet spice (similar to cinnamon) and coffee, some people say they taste and smell black cherry too. Their scent is truly delicious and is very popular in perfume making.
Can they be substituted? You can replace them with vanilla and/or almond extract, but the flavour of tonka is too unique. It’s really worth investing in.
History of the ingredient
For many years, tonka beans had a bad rep. In fact, FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) still lists them as illegal and won’t let any edible products containing tonka beans end up on the shelves and reach consumers.
Tonka beans contain coumarin which can cause liver damage, but in order to cause some serious issues, a person would need to eat 30 tonka beans. That doesn’t sound like fun, nor it would be pleasant. The bean got banned in 1954 and continues to stay on the naughty list. In 2006, the FDA raided a restaurant in Chicago due to the rumours of tonka being used for some menu items. However, there are ways to get your ‘fix’ and customers find suppliers to help them enhance their cooking.
Since the ban was placed (nearly 70 years ago!), it’s been discovered that coumarin naturally occurs in various commonly consumed plants, including cinnamon, lavender, licorice, and many others. Much like our beloved friend MSG, coumarin is unwelcome, despite being a true heavy hitter in the kitchens. Cinnamon and nutmeg contain coumarin, but somehow the No-Food-Fun-Police let those two pass. Was it because they were less exotic and therefore less threatening? In European Union, there are limits on the amount of coumarin allowed in certain food products, particularly those that contain cinnamon. Fun fact: Cinnamon rolls were nearly banned in Denmark in 2013, because nearly half those tested were found to contain high levels of coumarin.
Apparently, Tonka Beans had a bit of a moment in the U.K. in 2019, when we went through vanilla shortage phase. That train really passed me by, but better late than never!
A long time ago the Kayapó people (the indigenous people in Brazil) used tonka beans as medicine. In Trinidad, tonka fruit (tonka beans) are eaten whole as they become ripe.
Tonka Beans are used in magic to attract love, money and many other positive things in your life. They’re used to cast spells and make wishes.
Quick suggestions for use:
One of the things I always do when I put together a new issue, I check my cookbooks for ingredients to get an idea of what the most popular uses are. I have a shelf full of cookbooks, and the number of recipes in those books amounts to over 24,000. There was just ONE recipe that contained tonka. And it was a cocktail. So it’s safe to say that 1) I don’t have many cookbooks on Latin American cooking 2) Tonka bean isn’t mainstream.
Savoury
Turns out that Tonka Beans are extremely popular in French cuisine and are used to flavour not just the desserts and sweet offerings but also add complexity to dishes like stews, roasted meats, chicken terrines, and tonka braised chicken.
A natural pairing - Tonka Bean and Rum Chicken
Use with your winter root veg, like parsnips and turnips to add a distinct note
If a recipe calls for nutmeg or cinnamon, try replacing it with Tonka Bean to add a new flavour dimension
I love mayonnaise, but I am weary of this tonka-flavoured mayonnaise (but of course, I will be trying)
You can also pair it with squashes and pumpkins
Sweet
If you like tonka as much as I do, you will want to add it to everything. It can be used to infuse cream/milk and butter; shaved to top off pies, patisserie and bakes.
Start simple with this Tonka Bean ice cream
Tonka pairs beautifully with cherry flavours, so if you’re making Black Forrest anything, find a way to sneak in some tonka beans
Tonkas beans are popular in macaron making, so grate some into your batter
Give this Tonka Bean Crème Brûlée a go
I am excited to try this gluten free Tonka-flavoured cake
Infuse milks and cream to make creamy desserts, warm gently and leave to infuse, make sure you don’t bring it to the boil as the heat will alter the flavour of the tonka bean
Chocolate-rich dessert will sing louder with an addition of Tonka Bean
You could make my chunky Tonka & Dark Chocolate Cookies
Drinks
Not a recipe, but you can pick up this tonka bean infused liqueur for your cocktail adventures
Tonka beans pair really well with rum, whiskey and cognac, so if you’re big on any of those, try adding a little ground bean to your drink next time
Tonka beans are often used to infuse liqueurs (see above) and spirits, so choose your own adventure and create your own unique alcoholic infusion
Back to cocktails, any cocktails that have cherry/nutmeg/cinnamon/vanilla/almond or coffee flavours will benefit from a little addition of tonka beans
Do you like hot cocoa? Try adding a little to your drink next time, either infuse the milk or grate a little to top it off
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN
You can not make your own, you can grow your own tree but you’d need to be in a warm climate, somewhere in South America.
WHERE TO BUY
Tonka beans aren’t very common (yet) so you’re unlikely to find them in your local supermarket. I got mine from Sous Chef, you can buy them whole or ground. If you’re buying for personal use, I suggest getting whole beans and getting them ground as needed, to retain the freshness.
Something to watch: Not food related but we’ve been watching Poker Face (available on Sky Max & Now TV) and Natasha Lyonne is brilliant.
Cookbooks to explore: The Food Almanac I & II, the perfect companion to inspire seasonal eating (U.K. seasons), brimming with recipes, stories, poems and tips on how to use up glut of fruit and veg each month.
Something to read: Why is the thought of cooking so dreadful? on Vittles. I love cooking, but some days and sometimes even weeks I feel like my mind is in scramble and I struggle to put together even the simplest dishes together. This really spoke to me.
Hope I convinced you to give Tonka beans a go. And I know that my job is not to add to your pantries but to help you use up what you already have, but some things really are worth investing in.
Coming up next week: on Wednesday, paid subscribers will receive a no-cook recipe (did you notice the heatwave?) and on Sunday everyone will receive a chilli special (probably not so heatwave appropriate)
Anya xx
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