Extracts
An Extract is a substance or ingredient made by removing the essential or desired components of a complex material or source. Flavor extracts are composed specifically of these compounds in concentrated form. The Extract is removed from the source, which is typically a plant, with the use of some type of solvent, such as water or ethanol, and using mild processing.
Extracts are further differentiated by strength or concentration and their chemical profile. The sources used for extracts are truly global. The region where the plant or source is grown, how the plant is cultivated, as well as the specific variety of the plant source, all provide specialized characteristics and nuances for a given Extract.
The Flavor Extracts are further processed and concentrated and standardized to provide the final market form. All of these factors impact and determine how the extract will taste, and smell, the depth and complexity and subtleties of the flavor, the viscosity and color of the product, and how the extract will ultimately perform and function in a given food or application.
One of the most common Extracts used in the US is Vanilla Extract. While there are over a hundred different types of Vanilla, the two most prevalent types of vanilla extract in the US are from Madagascar (Bourbon—the region, not the drink) and Tahiti. Other regions include Mexico, Indonesia and India, just to name a few.
The final flavor of the Vanilla Extract is complex, as it is a function of not just the region and cultivar it is grown in, but also the extraction process. Sweet, raisin, woody, cocoa, clove, toasted, astringent and smoky are just some of the notes which contribute to the complex and wonderful final flavor.
Extracts are customarily available in liquid form, and some can also be produced as powder forms.
Specialized and Customized Extract blends, and blends with other flavor components, extend the range of possibilities and these are also available upon request.
