Dipteryx odorata

Tonka bean

Dark vanilla, sweet tobacco, hay with almond.

Where it comes from. The Amazon. A bean that smells of vanilla, hay and bitter almond: in Italy it slips into creams and desserts.

The mistake everyone makes. Grating too much. Tonka is loud: one pass of the bean is enough for six.

An unexpected Italian use. In panna cotta, on dark chocolate, in choux cream, over poached peach.

The recipe. Panna cotta, a grating of tonka, yellow peach. A dessert that does not taste of cheap vanilla.

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