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 influenced by several factors and has declined from a high of 200 tons to a 2013 yield of 60 tons. The largest concentration of the vanilla variety "Vanilla tahitensis" (Tahitian vanilla) is situated in the Society Islands. The island of Taha'a, known as the "Vanilla Island" because of its pervasive aroma of vanilla, produces about 80% of all French Polynesia's vanilla. "Vanilla tahitensis" (Tahitian vanilla), which is a cross-strain of "Vanilla planifola" (Mexican vanilla and Bourbon vanilla) and "Vanilla odorata" (Inflated Vanilla), is produced in French Polynesia, especially in Tahiti, and also Hawaii. Its pods have fewer seeds than "Vanilla