The Sweet-Scented Seed You Can’t Eat in America
What if I told you there is a little seed that you've probably smelled but never tasted because it's banned in the United States? Sounds crazy, right? It turns out that a little seed from a tree native to South America packs a punch.
What Are Tonka Beans?
Tonka beans are the name of the black, wrinkly seed of the Dipteryx odorata. The mighty little monsters have a sweet, warm scent that is often used in fragrances and cosmetics because of its aroma that some describe as being similar to a blend of vanilla, cherry, almond, cinnamon, and clove.
Why Tonka Beans Are Banned
As it turns out, tonka beans aren't just for perfumes. In many parts of the world, tonka beans are used in culinary dishes, despite their toxic capabilities. These little seeds are packed with something known as coumarin, a toxin known to affect the liver.
Tonka Beans Around the World
However, in some countries, tonka bean extracts are used to make traditional medicines used to treat those suffering from cramps or nausea. It is even rumored to act as an aphrodisiac.
South American natives mix the seed paste with milk to make a thick, nutty-flavored beverage. Extracts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine as a tonic and to treat cramps and nausea. Seed extracts have been administered rectally for schistosomiasis in China. The fruit has also been said to have aphrodisiac properties. - Drugs.com
Tonka beans contain 1-3% of this chemical compound, and can even contain as much as 10% in some rare cases. If you're wondering just how dangerous coumarin is, parts of Europe have established guidelines for a "Tolerable Daily Intake" of just 0.1 milligram per kilogram of body weight, and in the United States, it has been banned entirely since 1954 by the Food and Drug Administration for use in food products.
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The Irony of the Ban
Not only are tonka seeds banned from being used in food in the U.S., but it's also illegal to buy or sell them, according to Taste, which explains that there is even a bit of a black market for the seeds in some parts of the country. The irony, as noted by Taste, is that the toxic ingredient that resulted in tonka beans being banned is also found in cinnamon.
Tonka beans—an ingredient that people have used for centuries to add a vanilla-almond note to cakes, custards, ice creams, and even chicken—have been illegal since 1954 because they contain coumarin, a chemical compound found in cinnamon. - Taste
Are Tonka Beans Really Dangerous?
Mashed points out that the ban could be outdated, noting that the average person would have to consume approximately thirty tonka beans to ingest enough coumarin to be dangerous.
For now, the beans remain illegal in the United States, despite evidence suggesting they may not be as dangerous as once thought. For now, this tiny seed stays an outlaw in American kitchens, but would you risk a taste?
LOOK: Food and drink items that are highly restricted or banned in the U.S.
Gallery Credit: Stacker