Vanilla what's best

Would like to know the best vanilla to buy in Cozumel. I have a bottle here that came from there, but I heard there are different kinds. (mine is Azteca Vainilla) So what other choices do I have and what is the best? Also where do I get it from?

I am so glad you asked this question. I was asking in an earlier post for a particular name brand of vanilla to purchase but no one ever got back with a particular name brand that was good. Maybe someone will have some good recommendations.:)

From the wonderful posters, I have learned what not to buy!! If the ingredient is Coumarin (sp?), this is illegal in the USA. Would love some good nilla also!;)

Cinco Soles sells vanilla that does not contain coumarin and states that clearly on the bottle.

I don't know that coumarin is illegal in the US -- as in, your vanilla would be confiscated if it contained it -- but it is considered dangerous and is not to be used in food. The Food and Drug Administration prohibits the sale or use of foods containing coumarin in the United States. Coumarin is commonly used as an anticoagulant (coumadin) and also in rat poison.

As long as your Mexican vanilla is coumarin free, you'll have good vanilla. I'd be sure to buy it in a glass bottle, though. I bought a plastic bottle of vanilla at Chedraui (grocery store) cheap and it tasted like plastic.

I second the recommendation to get vanilla at Los Cinco Soles. It isn't the absolute cheapest on the island, but it is good quality, you don't have to haggle and they take plastic. I also bought some at Chedraui. It was less expensive and also of good quality. It came in a glass bottle. It is natural vanilla, not artificial.

Here are photos of the front and side of the bottle that I bought at Chedraui. It isn't always in stock and the brands can change there often.

Side photo

Front photo

Also be sure to get real, natural vanilla and not artificial. If the bottle doesn't say which it is, keep looking.

We bought our vanilla at Los Cinco Soles, also. I brought back a ton of it for friends and family. It's wonderful and everyone loved it. Their brand was recommened by our tour guide, an American who lives on the island.

You might also wander an additional 3 blocks past Cinco Soles and check out what they have in the vanilla department at the little Sedana grocery store that's on the corner of Airport Blvd and the waterfront -- right across from the statue of the Mayan warrior and his family.

I don't know that coumarin is illegal in the US -- as in, your vanilla would be confiscated if it contained it -- but it is considered dangerous and is not to be used in food. The Food and Drug Administration prohibits the sale or use of foods containing coumarin in the United States. Coumarin is commonly used as an anticoagulant (coumadin) and also in rat poison.

 

As long as your Mexican vanilla is coumarin free, you'll have good vanilla. I'd be sure to buy it in a glass bottle, though. I bought a plastic bottle of vanilla at Chedraui (grocery store) cheap and it tasted like plastic.

Since I live about a Stone throw from the border, this is one topic you see on the news all the time, Apparently this Substance Coumarin and there is another one, thats is pretty harmful to humans.

I purchased mine last November from the Sedena grocery store on the waterfront. Cheaper than any of the tourist stores. Worth the walk. The only thing you need to remember is to make sure you take small bills. They may not give change in American dollars. The brand was AZTECA in a glass bottle. It is pure natural vanilla and comes in both regular and clear. I have a friend who is a chef and said that the clear is great for baking.

I bought Xilkan at the duty free store by the ship at Puerto Maya. It is very, very good! Glass bottle and a liter was $10! I bake a lot and it has done wonderfully. It was recommended by a friend.

June

We bought the brand name Xel-Ha from the "tunnel" of shops that you walk through going into Cozumel from the cruise dock, we paid like $12 for a glass liter bottle (I bake a lot) and some smaller ones for family. It is a great vanilla, our guide told us to be really careful of what you buy in the grocery stores there and read the labels, it is not all pure vanilla.

You may be able to find some for less if you look around, we really didn't have time to after our excursion. I saw some other bottles that said "natural vanilla" but did not buy them because as a rule if you look on the ingredients if they do not list vanilla bean extract as the first ingredient it is not very pure. They have to list ingredients in order or quantity in the bottle, so if water is listed first, then you have mostly water etc....

Hope this helps..:)

I bought Azteca Vanilla in a litre glass bottle. It's great and coumarin free. I just bought it in one of the little haggly shops in Cozumel. Think I paid $12.

I bought some Xilkan vanilla last year and Love It! If anyone is going back to Mexico I would pay top dollar for you to pick me up some.... Any Takers please email me at BrwnsBks@aol.com

Thanks a ton!

We always buy our vanilla at Los Cinco Soles as well and have never been disappointed.

Regarding coumarin, I Googled it. It is a derivative of tonka beans and is considered unsafe by the FDA. Apparently it is added to fake vanilla to make it taste like it is real. It is toxic to your liver and is a carcinogenic. In other words, it's bad stuff.

Regarding coumarin...

Thanks all for the heads up, first time I've heard of this, now I'll have to check my bottle I bought last year!

if the label is in spanish, look for the term "sin coumarin" or "sin coumarino." "sin" (pronounced seen) means "without" in spanish. i looked for my bottle of mexican vanilla but couldn't find it, so the spanish spelling of coumarin may not be correct.

dg

Also keep in mind that the labeling laws in Mexico may be different from the US. I would stick with a reputable company.

Hi there! Every time we go to Mexico, I pick up a bottle of the Azteca Vainilla. I love the stuff! However, I recently began researching vanilla online. I was amazed at what I didn't know about it. For instance, on your bottle of vanilla, it should say "This product does not contain coumarin". I had no idea what it was, maybe a spice? Not so much. Take a look at this little article, it's a good one...http://www.vanilla.com/html/facts-mexican.html I'm currently trying to figure out what the ingredients are in the bottles we have...we'll see! You should google vanilla sometime, see what pops up!

I went to the plaza shops one block off the waterfront. In one of the stores, (no bigger than my bathroom at home) I haggled the lady down to $8 on 12.2 oz plastic bottle. It is Vane, doesn't taste like plastic, and says "does not containt coumarin". 100% Pure vanilla. Looking at the ingredient label it says vanilla bean extactives in water, alcohol, sugar, and corn syrup. Did I do OK? I saw all price ranges of bottles in the stores on the waterfront.

I had a friend bring me back so great vanilla from mexico. it is call XEL-HA Vainilla Mexicana. it is coumarin free. it has natural vanilla beans extract in water, alcohol and caramel. it is the best vanilla to make frosting with and cakes, cookies you name it ... i love this stuff and i am trying to find it on line. but can seem to come across it. if you are in cancun that is where my friend purchased it from.

Los Cinco Soles' Natural Gourmet Vanilla lists the following ingredients:

"Agua (water), Alcohol, Extracto de Vanilla Pura y vanillin"

No caramel, no sugar, no corn syrup. Nada. Just vanilla. And it's good stuff!

Well, the bottle of vanilla extract in front of me is almost empty--time for another cruise!:D

Los Cinco Soles' Natural Gourmet Vanilla lists the following ingredients:

"Agua (water), Alcohol, Extracto de Vanilla Pura y vanillin"

 

No caramel, no sugar, no corn syrup. Nada. Just vanilla. And it's good stuff!

 

Well, the bottle of vanilla extract in front of me is almost empty--time for another cruise!:D

I know it's been a while since you posted this, but I thought I'd add something for others who might stumble upon this post like I just did.

Those ingredients don't say pure vanilla. "y" means "and" in Spanish, so you have pure vanilla AND vanillin. Vanillin is artificial vanilla.

From what I've seen Xel-Ha is a good brand. It's also an area that produces vanilla, or just as likely, vanillin. The brand is good, but the region is hit or miss. Of all the Mexican vanilla I've ever bought, Xel-Ha smells the best. It jumps out of the bottle and assults your nose with a vanilla baseball bat. The fake brands just don't have the same strong vanilla smell.

I've also heard that the best Mexican vanilla should use Papantla vanilla beans, which Xel-Ha brand says it uses.

I'm not an expert, so it could be as fake as all the others, but it doesn't say vanillin like almost ever other Mexican Vanilla I've seen, and the smell suggests to me that it's better.

Is there something special about Mexican vanilla that isn't found in the US? I am currently using this, from Pampered Chef:

Double-Strength Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract — $14.75

A high-quality two-fold vanilla extract made from the finest Madagascar "Bourbon Isle" vanilla beans. 4 fl. oz. Available only in the 48 contiguous states.

Has anyone had both and could compare the two for me?

I went to the plaza shops one block off the waterfront. In one of the stores, (no bigger than my bathroom at home) I haggled the lady down to $8 on 12.2 oz plastic bottle. It is Vane, doesn't taste like plastic, and says "does not containt coumarin". 100% Pure vanilla. Looking at the ingredient label it says vanilla bean extactives in water, alcohol, sugar, and corn syrup. Did I do OK? I saw all price ranges of bottles in the stores on the waterfront.

I have the same bottle.. Had no idea about the coumarin.. The things you learn on a cruise board!..:p