Tonka beans
A wrinkled black seed from a South American tree, smelling of vanilla, almond, hay and tobacco. Grated into creams, custards and chocolate by pastry chefs.
vanilla · almond · hay · tobacco
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Spice specialists in Europe. It's banned as a food in the US because it contains coumarin, which can harm the liver in large amounts.
- Worth knowing
- Grate a little — a third of a bean is plenty — into hot cream and leave it to infuse. A whole bean can be infused, rinsed, dried and used again.