There has been a trending social media question since November, and that is, “Where does vanilla flavoring come from?
Well, if you could not figure out where it comes from based off the picture, some vanilla flavorings come from a beaver. And not just a random part of the beaver, it specifically comes from the beaver’s rectum!
According to a 2013 National Geographic article, some vanilla flavorings on the market come from what they describe as “anal excretions” from beavers. The chemical compound is known as Castoreum. The FDA lists this compound as “generally regarded as safe,” and has been in use for 80 years.
To get this compound from the beaver, wildlife ecologist, Joanne Crawford, refers to it as “milking the beaver.”
Castoreum is stored in the beaver’s “castor sacs,” located between the pelvis and the base of its tail. Because of the sac’s location, the castoreum found in beavers is a combination of the castor glands, anal glands, and urine. Its consistency is akin to molasses, but not quite as thick.
I lift up the animal’s tail, and I’m like, ‘Get down there, and stick your nose near its bum.’
People think I’m nuts. I tell them, ‘Oh, but it’s beavers; it smells really good.’
Joanne Crawford
Author’s Commentary
Next time I need vanilla from the grocery store, I will be sure that the vanilla is from the bean, and not the beaver butt. The article did say there is not a whole lot of consumption of it, citing about only 292 pounds in a year.
When I first heard this, I thought someone was pulling my leg. Then I checked, and sure enough, they were not kidding!
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