Thin Bob

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Thin bean (tonka beans) is the name of an interesting plant from the tropical jungle, whose pods are used as a spice. In our country, thin beans are not very popular and are relatively rarely used in the preparation of various specialties, mainly cakes and chocolate delicacies. Probably the main reason for the low popularity of thin beans is that in more stable doses it can be toxic.

In moderation, however, this spice is a real pleasure for the senses. It is used mainly for flavoring cakes, because it has the taste of bitter almonds and a unique combination of flavors - vanilla, cinnamon, cloves. Thin bean oil (dipteryx odorata) has a slight bitter-sweet taste and, surprisingly, has a crystalline structure that gives it shape.

The pods of the tonka bean come from an interesting tree known as the Aromatic Dipteryx (Dipteryx odorata), a member of the legume family (Fabaceae). His homeland is considered to be the Orinoco region in northern South America.

The word tonka itself is of Caribbean origin and comes from one of the local languages in French Guiana. They also call thin beans thin bean, tonga bean, coumaruna odorata or coumaruna, which is the old name of the tree, kumaru. In the region of French Guiana, this fragrant spice is known as the "bean that foretells love."

Even today, this country, along with Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil, are among the few countries in which tonka bean tree grows. The main producers of seeds are Venezuela and Nigeria.

The tropical trees themselves are quite tall and, like most tree species in the tropical jungle, have a long lifespan. It is claimed that one in every 100 tonka bean trees can reach the age of 1000 g.

In addition to being quite tall, these trees are characterized by large and elliptical leaves. They bloom with pleasant purple colors, and after this period the fruits are formed - the pods, which are not only in cooking, but also very popular in the perfume industry.

The fragrant dipteryx in the Caribbean region is believed by locals to have magical properties. It's considered that thin bean is able to make wishes come true and bring good luck. To this end, the Guyans throw grains into the pools of water and make a secret wish in the hope that it will come true.

Some time ago, the Indians in South America mixed thin bean seeds with milk and drinking this mixture, they believed that they took the seed of the mother Earth, or in other words, drinking the decoction with dipterix, they drew earthly forces.

Thin bean oil is also added to a base oil that was previously used to flavor Mapacho ritual tobacco. It was later added to cigars, making it a raw material for the tobacco industry, before being banned in some countries.

Composition of thin beans

As mentioned, tonka beans can be toxic in large quantities, which is why it is still not allowed in some countries and has long been discontinued as a raw material in tobacco production. Thin beans contain the substance coumarin, which was first extracted from it and after which the plant was eventually named.

Coumarin is the reason for the pleasant smell of fine beans and its widespread use in the perfume industry. Coumarin has a bitter taste and in large doses has been reported to damage the liver in rodents. This is why many governments control it as a dietary supplement. Thin beans are believed to synthesize coumarin as a protective reaction, similar to many tropical plants.

Use of thin beans

Before being banned in several countries, tonka beans were widely used as a substitute for vanilla, in the perfume industry and in the tobacco industry. To this day, tonka beans are used in the manufacture of certain types of tobacco (Dunhill Royal Yacht, Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake).

The United States is one of the countries where the plant is banned and where it was previously used for the production of drugs, mainly anticoagulants based on the substance 4-hydroxycoumarin, which is a chemical derivative of coumarin extracted from thin beans. However, coumarin itself does not have anticoagulant properties.

Still, though thin beans are the raw material for the perfume industry, and very often it is made into soaps with a pleasant vanilla aroma. There are chocolates, with the addition of fragrant pods, which even win international awards.

Kumaru, also called Brazilian teak wood, is gaining more and more popularity for the production of flooring. In the United States, they are extremely popular because they are quite durable and with pleasant wood shades. In Bulgaria, tonka beans can be found in most spice stores, and its price for 5 g is about BGN 4.

Thin beans in cooking

We mentioned that thin bean, with its unique aroma a mixture of vanilla, cloves, cinnamon and bitter almonds, is quite a suitable spice for sweet temptations. It can be added to pasta, pies, puddings, creams, biscuits and candies based on coconut flavor, etc., but the best tandem of thin beans is with chocolate.

Use it sparingly when making ice cream for example or souffle. It is considered that a few grains are not enough to flavor 1 kg of pasta. With a thin bean you can prepare a tomato sauce in the Italian style, which has a superb aroma and taste.

Benefits of thin beans

There are many benefits to using butter thin bean, which is considered to be a very good means of aromatic nourishment of tendons. This oil combines quite well with macadamia oil. It is used only for external use in a ratio of 1: 7 with base oils. You can apply it in the area around the neck is a small amount, because its action is strong - it has the property to activate the left front of the brain and the right occiput.

Here's more about the benefits of tonka beans and its uses over the years:

Traditional herbal treatments, which are still used in the forests of South America, recognize the importance of tonka bean oil as an antiseptic, as it is used successfully to treat ear pain.

Bob is soaked in rum to treat cuts, bruises, rheumatism and even snake bites.

Beans are said to have antispasmodic properties and are used to treat coughs and asthma. By signaling the body to increase the amount of secretions and expectorant action, it removes infectious substances from the body and lubricates the pulmonary ducts. This clears the chest cough and relieves asthma.

Many fragrances are used in perfumery with the promise of attracting the opposite sex. Tonka bean is a natural aphrodisiac, with its sensual aroma reminiscent of warm vanilla. This fragrance is both mysterious and alluring.

The high levels of coumarin in beans act as a natural insecticide and moth repellent. Many studies have been conducted on the use of coumarin and its potency in pesticides. Coumarin appears to work as a natural pesticide in the trees and plants that produce it, reducing the number of insect attacks and allowing the tree / plant to grow undisturbed.

Tonka bean oil should not be taken internally and can be toxic if consumed. It should be avoided with blood thinners.

More evidence is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of tonka beans in these uses:

- Cough;

- Cramps;

- Nausea;

- Spasms;

- Tuberculosis;

- Ear pain when applied directly;

- Mouth sores when applied directly;

- Sore throat when applied directly.

Use in cosmetics:

Tonka bean oil, due to its special aroma, is increasingly used in various cosmetic compositions;

- creams, emulsions, body oils;

- hair care products;

- deodorant;

- lipsticks, lip balm;

- the aroma causes a state of relaxation, calm and balance;

- in perfumery it is used both as a base note and as a fixative;

- is used both for creating women's perfumes with oriental notes, and for men's perfumes, radiating elegance and seduction;

- gives perfumes and other cosmetic products, exotic notes.