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 subsequently developed in the area and came to be popularly known as Tahitian vanilla. This has special characteristics compared to the varieties such as "Vanilla planifolia" grown in other parts of the world"," particularly in respect to taste and scent. It has resulted in greater demand for the Tahitian variety. The introduction occurred only one year after France made French Polynesia its protectorate, and over the next 40 years it became a major export to the United States, France, and Britain. Initially the vanilla plantations were owned by French mainland transplants; later, the local Tahitians learned the processes and became