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“ Everything can impact the flavor profile of natural vanilla beans – where they’re grown, the weather, how they’re fermented, transporting the beans. “Creating consistent extracts each year is not as simple as following the method you used the previous year”, say Gunter. Really, my job is only possible because I can rely on the extracts and flavors developed by Gunter and his team to behave in the way I expect them to not only in terms of taste, but also in how they react to heat, water etc.” It’s my role to develop solutions that exactly meet individual customer needs. “Even if you have two requests for a flavor solution that will be used in the same product, say a chocolate bar, the requirements around things like flavor profile or price point can be worlds apart. “No two briefs from a client are the same,” continues Christoph Fischer, a Master Flavorist at Symrise. The focus of my work here is to not only ensure that our vanilla extracts are consistent year on year, but to also make sure we have enough variety to meet the demands of consumers and the needs of our customers.” “Even within the world of vanilla, a flavor universally loved and my personal favorite area to work in, the precise quality of taste that we enjoy and associate with vanilla ranges hugely from region to region. “I’ve always been interested in food, and particularly regional preferences”, explains Gunter Kindel, a Principal Flavorist who’s been working at Symrise for more than 40 years. Add to that the range of regional taste preferences, and the knowledge and skill required to create distinctive yet recognizable vanilla flavors is something only the best in the business have.” With over 400 aroma and flavor compounds combining to create the taste we know and love, extracting that perfect vanilla flavor from naturally varying beans is no easy task. “As one of the world’s best-loved flavors, vanilla is also one of the most-complex. It’s a win-win for everyone – supply stability, traceability and quality are all improved – and gives our customers a major advantage and the opportunity to create products that are truly differentiated in the market.” We recently invested in our own extraction facility in Madagascar as well, further expanding our work there. “We’re proud to say that our vanilla portfolio is becoming more sustainable every day, that we’re helping more and more farmers grow vanilla accredited tp standards such as Organic, Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance, and that we’re working with local communities in Madagascar to make a real difference. We recognized this shift and it’s one of the key reasons why in 2006 we became the first flavor manufacturer to invest in our own operations in Madagascar – allowing us to provide the only fully backward integrated supply of Bourbon vanilla in the world.” We’re seeing more and more people interested in the origins of their food, seeking out authentic, natural flavours and driving the demand for sustainably sourced ingredients. “Over 140 years later, we’re still pioneers in vanilla, although consumer preferences are always changing. Really, our story began when the original founders of Symrise became the first to synthesize vanillin in 1874, opening up vanilla’s delicious flavor to a world of new consumers, who of course loved it!” “Vanilla is one of our core competencies and has always had a central role in our company. “It’s a global favorite and demand today is as high as ever: it’s used in over 18,000 products and is the world’s number one sweet flavour direction.” “Vanilla is often used to describe something bland or plain, but we know it’s anything but,” he continues. As Global Competence Director for Vanilla, Yannick Leen brings his passion for vanilla to everything he does.