KMBB Posted May 20, 2005 #1 Share Posted May 20, 2005 Would like to know the best vanilla to buy in Cozumel. I have a bottle here that came from there, but I heard there are different kinds. (mine is Azteca Vainilla) So what other choices do I have and what is the best? Also where do I get it from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baylorbear87 Posted May 20, 2005 #2 Share Posted May 20, 2005 I am so glad you asked this question. I was asking in an earlier post for a particular name brand of vanilla to purchase but no one ever got back with a particular name brand that was good. Maybe someone will have some good recommendations.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilmsonry Posted May 20, 2005 #3 Share Posted May 20, 2005 From the wonderful posters, I have learned what not to buy!! If the ingredient is Coumarin (sp?), this is illegal in the USA. Would love some good nilla also!;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auntienance Posted May 31, 2005 #4 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Cinco Soles sells vanilla that does not contain coumarin and states that clearly on the bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaMare Posted May 31, 2005 #5 Share Posted May 31, 2005 I don't know that coumarin is illegal in the US -- as in, your vanilla would be confiscated if it contained it -- but it is considered dangerous and is not to be used in food. The Food and Drug Administration prohibits the sale or use of foods containing coumarin in the United States. Coumarin is commonly used as an anticoagulant (coumadin) and also in rat poison. As long as your Mexican vanilla is coumarin free, you'll have good vanilla. I'd be sure to buy it in a glass bottle, though. I bought a plastic bottle of vanilla at Chedraui (grocery store) cheap and it tasted like plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce-r Posted May 31, 2005 #6 Share Posted May 31, 2005 I second the recommendation to get vanilla at Los Cinco Soles. It isn't the absolute cheapest on the island, but it is good quality, you don't have to haggle and they take plastic. I also bought some at Chedraui. It was less expensive and also of good quality. It came in a glass bottle. It is natural vanilla, not artificial. Here are photos of the front and side of the bottle that I bought at Chedraui. It isn't always in stock and the brands can change there often. Side photo Front photo Also be sure to get real, natural vanilla and not artificial. If the bottle doesn't say which it is, keep looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Gal Posted June 15, 2005 #7 Share Posted June 15, 2005 We bought our vanilla at Los Cinco Soles, also. I brought back a ton of it for friends and family. It's wonderful and everyone loved it. Their brand was recommened by our tour guide, an American who lives on the island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carey on Cozumel Posted June 15, 2005 #8 Share Posted June 15, 2005 You might also wander an additional 3 blocks past Cinco Soles and check out what they have in the vanilla department at the little Sedana grocery store that's on the corner of Airport Blvd and the waterfront -- right across from the statue of the Mayan warrior and his family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wennfred Posted June 15, 2005 #9 Share Posted June 15, 2005 I don't know that coumarin is illegal in the US -- as in, your vanilla would be confiscated if it contained it -- but it is considered dangerous and is not to be used in food. The Food and Drug Administration prohibits the sale or use of foods containing coumarin in the United States. Coumarin is commonly used as an anticoagulant (coumadin) and also in rat poison. As long as your Mexican vanilla is coumarin free, you'll have good vanilla. I'd be sure to buy it in a glass bottle, though. I bought a plastic bottle of vanilla at Chedraui (grocery store) cheap and it tasted like plastic. Since I live about a Stone throw from the border, this is one topic you see on the news all the time, Apparently this Substance Coumarin and there is another one, thats is pretty harmful to humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flutterby Posted June 16, 2005 #10 Share Posted June 16, 2005 I purchased mine last November from the Sedena grocery store on the waterfront. Cheaper than any of the tourist stores. Worth the walk. The only thing you need to remember is to make sure you take small bills. They may not give change in American dollars. The brand was AZTECA in a glass bottle. It is pure natural vanilla and comes in both regular and clear. I have a friend who is a chef and said that the clear is great for baking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjunea Posted June 16, 2005 #11 Share Posted June 16, 2005 I bought Xilkan at the duty free store by the ship at Puerto Maya. It is very, very good! Glass bottle and a liter was $10! I bake a lot and it has done wonderfully. It was recommended by a friend. June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodeomomof2 Posted June 20, 2005 #12 Share Posted June 20, 2005 We bought the brand name Xel-Ha from the "tunnel" of shops that you walk through going into Cozumel from the cruise dock, we paid like $12 for a glass liter bottle (I bake a lot) and some smaller ones for family. It is a great vanilla, our guide told us to be really careful of what you buy in the grocery stores there and read the labels, it is not all pure vanilla. You may be able to find some for less if you look around, we really didn't have time to after our excursion. I saw some other bottles that said "natural vanilla" but did not buy them because as a rule if you look on the ingredients if they do not list vanilla bean extract as the first ingredient it is not very pure. They have to list ingredients in order or quantity in the bottle, so if water is listed first, then you have mostly water etc.... Hope this helps..:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrustyCruises Posted June 21, 2005 #13 Share Posted June 21, 2005 I bought Azteca Vanilla in a litre glass bottle. It's great and coumarin free. I just bought it in one of the little haggly shops in Cozumel. Think I paid $12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbluel Posted September 29, 2005 #14 Share Posted September 29, 2005 I bought some Xilkan vanilla last year and Love It! If anyone is going back to Mexico I would pay top dollar for you to pick me up some.... Any Takers please email me at BrwnsBks@aol.com Thanks a ton! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tam-tam Posted October 2, 2005 #15 Share Posted October 2, 2005 We always buy our vanilla at Los Cinco Soles as well and have never been disappointed. Regarding coumarin, I Googled it. It is a derivative of tonka beans and is considered unsafe by the FDA. Apparently it is added to fake vanilla to make it taste like it is real. It is toxic to your liver and is a carcinogenic. In other words, it's bad stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelQN Posted October 5, 2005 #16 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Regarding coumarin... Thanks all for the heads up, first time I've heard of this, now I'll have to check my bottle I bought last year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGinLDO Posted October 5, 2005 #17 Share Posted October 5, 2005 if the label is in spanish, look for the term "sin coumarin" or "sin coumarino." "sin" (pronounced seen) means "without" in spanish. i looked for my bottle of mexican vanilla but couldn't find it, so the spanish spelling of coumarin may not be correct. dg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tam-tam Posted October 6, 2005 #18 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Also keep in mind that the labeling laws in Mexico may be different from the US. I would stick with a reputable company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpearce12001 Posted May 7, 2007 #19 Share Posted May 7, 2007 Hi there! Every time we go to Mexico, I pick up a bottle of the Azteca Vainilla. I love the stuff! However, I recently began researching vanilla online. I was amazed at what I didn't know about it. For instance, on your bottle of vanilla, it should say "This product does not contain coumarin". I had no idea what it was, maybe a spice? Not so much. Take a look at this little article, it's a good one...http://www.vanilla.com/html/facts-mexican.html I'm currently trying to figure out what the ingredients are in the bottles we have...we'll see! You should google vanilla sometime, see what pops up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfcathorse Posted May 7, 2007 #20 Share Posted May 7, 2007 I went to the plaza shops one block off the waterfront. In one of the stores, (no bigger than my bathroom at home) I haggled the lady down to $8 on 12.2 oz plastic bottle. It is Vane, doesn't taste like plastic, and says "does not containt coumarin". 100% Pure vanilla. Looking at the ingredient label it says vanilla bean extactives in water, alcohol, sugar, and corn syrup. Did I do OK? I saw all price ranges of bottles in the stores on the waterfront. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melby27 Posted June 6, 2008 #21 Share Posted June 6, 2008 I had a friend bring me back so great vanilla from mexico. it is call XEL-HA Vainilla Mexicana. it is coumarin free. it has natural vanilla beans extract in water, alcohol and caramel. it is the best vanilla to make frosting with and cakes, cookies you name it ... i love this stuff and i am trying to find it on line. but can seem to come across it. if you are in cancun that is where my friend purchased it from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capncarp Posted June 9, 2008 #22 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Los Cinco Soles' Natural Gourmet Vanilla lists the following ingredients: "Agua (water), Alcohol, Extracto de Vanilla Pura y vanillin" No caramel, no sugar, no corn syrup. Nada. Just vanilla. And it's good stuff! Well, the bottle of vanilla extract in front of me is almost empty--time for another cruise!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjleeland Posted November 4, 2010 #23 Share Posted November 4, 2010 Los Cinco Soles' Natural Gourmet Vanilla lists the following ingredients:"Agua (water), Alcohol, Extracto de Vanilla Pura y vanillin" No caramel, no sugar, no corn syrup. Nada. Just vanilla. And it's good stuff! Well, the bottle of vanilla extract in front of me is almost empty--time for another cruise!:D I know it's been a while since you posted this, but I thought I'd add something for others who might stumble upon this post like I just did. Those ingredients don't say pure vanilla. "y" means "and" in Spanish, so you have pure vanilla AND vanillin. Vanillin is artificial vanilla. From what I've seen Xel-Ha is a good brand. It's also an area that produces vanilla, or just as likely, vanillin. The brand is good, but the region is hit or miss. Of all the Mexican vanilla I've ever bought, Xel-Ha smells the best. It jumps out of the bottle and assults your nose with a vanilla baseball bat. The fake brands just don't have the same strong vanilla smell. I've also heard that the best Mexican vanilla should use Papantla vanilla beans, which Xel-Ha brand says it uses. I'm not an expert, so it could be as fake as all the others, but it doesn't say vanillin like almost ever other Mexican Vanilla I've seen, and the smell suggests to me that it's better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryscooking Posted November 5, 2010 #24 Share Posted November 5, 2010 Is there something special about Mexican vanilla that isn't found in the US? I am currently using this, from Pampered Chef: Double-Strength Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract — $14.75 A high-quality two-fold vanilla extract made from the finest Madagascar "Bourbon Isle" vanilla beans. 4 fl. oz. Available only in the 48 contiguous states. Has anyone had both and could compare the two for me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolyn1950 Posted November 6, 2010 #25 Share Posted November 6, 2010 I went to the plaza shops one block off the waterfront. In one of the stores, (no bigger than my bathroom at home) I haggled the lady down to $8 on 12.2 oz plastic bottle. It is Vane, doesn't taste like plastic, and says "does not containt coumarin". 100% Pure vanilla. Looking at the ingredient label it says vanilla bean extactives in water, alcohol, sugar, and corn syrup. Did I do OK? I saw all price ranges of bottles in the stores on the waterfront. I have the same bottle.. Had no idea about the coumarin.. The things you learn on a cruise board!..:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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