Tonka bean oil Tonka bean oil Tonka bean oil is extracted from the seed of "Dipteryx odorata". The oil is composed primarily of coumarin, which is used to flavor tobacco. It is neither a pressed oil, nor an essential oil, but was traditionally obtained by soaking the large, single tonka bean seed in rum or other alcohol for 24 hours, after which crystals of coumarin appear on the outside of the seed, and are then collected. The seeds contain up to 46% oil by dry weight. In recent years, most commercially produced coumarin are synthetic, which has reduced the demand for tonka beans
Vanilla production in French Polynesia planifolia", which is not a direct competitor. Mexican vanilla is used almost exclusively as the base of vanilla extract, due to higher vanillin levels. Tahitian vanilla is used primarily in perfume because of its coumarin-like scent. Other Tahitian vanilla products include vanilla green tea, vanilla oil, vanilla powder, vanilla rum, and vinegar-based vanilla. Vanilla, originally a crop endemic to South America, was introduced in French Polynesia in 1848 by Admiral Ferdinand-Alphonse Hamelin, a French commander in the Pacific. The admiral delivered several dozen specimens of the plant to the Tahitian Governor's garden in Papeete. A new variety of vanilla was