We eat natural flavours everyday and yet most of us do not realise how interesting the source is for our favourite tastes. What these flavours are is indicative of just how wide and diverse nature’s flavour wheel truly extends.
Vanilla: The World’s Favourite
The natural flavour vanillin is extracted from these pods. Mexico was the birthplace of vanilla, but now 80% of worldwide production comes from Madagascar. Vanilla costs more because hand-pollination and curing are such labour-intensive processes. For Natural Flavourings, contact https://foodieflavours.com/collections/natural-flavourings
Citrus Powerhouses
Citrus Peels – These are the source of orange, lemon and lime flavours in food. Here again, cold-pressing to extract the oils responsible for compounds like limonene that give citrus fruits their zest. Top citrus oil producers include Spain, Italy and California.
Mint Family
Natural mints — Spearmint or peppermint flavours come from mature mint plants in 3 to 4 months, and grow around the world. Mint, much of which is grown in America’s Pacific Northwest — menthol itself key among them.
Tropical Treasures
By using the fresh coconut meat and milk, consumers get that real coconut flavour; it can only come from freshly squeezed coconuts — most are shipped in from either the Philippines or Indonesia. Enzymes are found naturally in pineapple fruit, and large scale suppliers are the Philippines and Costa Rica.
Berry Delights
Concentrated fruit extracts are used for strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry flavours. Berries are the largest, and fastest-growing fruit category in North America, while more intense flavour profiles come from European varieties of berries.
There is no doubt the real flavours that brighten up numerous items and bind us with nature’s original taste palette come in natural form.