Even Michelin starred chefs have a bit of renegade smuggler in them; for years, chefs from top US restaurants, like New York City鈥檚听Le Bernard, have been buying听tonka听产别补苍蝉听to spice up their food despite the beans having been banned by the Food and Drug Administration.听When听蝉迟耻诲颈别蝉听showed that high levels of听coumarin, the听flavour听肠辞尘辫辞耻苍诲听颈苍听tonka听产别补苍蝉, were leading to听丑别辫补迟辞迟辞虫颈肠颈迟测听in听dogs and听rats听(chemical driven听liver听damage), the FDA chose to outright ban the听beans听from commercial use.听But听tonka听产别补苍蝉 remain a well-loved and occasionally used ingredient in听both听Canada and听Europe; Montreal鈥檚听BouillionBilk听currently听uses it in a chocolate pastry dessert, and the famous Canadian Chef Marc听Lepine听and owner of Ottawa鈥檚听Atelier听restaurant,听has used it experimentally听for听years.听So听what exactly听are these听mysterious听beans听and听why do听American听chefs need to use illegal means to obtain听them?听
The听鈥�dipteryx听odorata,鈥�听or听鈥�cumaru鈥�听tree,听native听to South America, bares听the听small prune-like听tonka听seeds. Renowned for their indescribable smell, the bean shavings听are used听commonly in sweet dishes as a flavor additive听like vanilla.听Bean extracts听are also ingredients in many perfumes, cosmetics,听detergents听and even tobacco and e-cigarettes. The French use the expression听"蹿颈猫惫谤别听tonka鈥�, a pun on the French word听鈥�辞苍蹿猫惫别鈥�听for 鈥渂ean鈥�, to describe the intense passion that chef鈥檚听and听辫别谤蹿耻尘别谤鈥檚听alike听share for this sweet flavor.听听
Coumarin, or听is 1,2-benzopyrone,听occurs naturally听颈苍听tonka听产别补苍蝉 and cinnamon, but听can听also听be found in trace amounts听in bison grass, green tea, carrots, and even some beers.听Poisoning by听coumarin听is extremely rare and has only occurred in clinical settings, where high听doses of the chemical听were medically administered听as treatments for听lymphedema听and some cancers.听Recently researchers found听that subgroups of humans might be more susceptible to the hepatotoxic effects of听the chemical, but the mechanism for why this might be is unknown.听Even with an added risk, heavy consumers of the compound barely reach levels of threatening exposure. Accordingly,听the FDA ban on this substance听has been听highly criticized听since it is very unlikely that anyone听could be exposed听to enough听coumarin听from听tonka听产别补苍蝉听to听cause听liver damage.听It听has been estimated听that听every day听we consume听about 0.06mg/kg of the substance daily through our diet and cosmetics. This听falls听safely听under the 2004 tolerable daily food intake (TDI) set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)听at听0.1mg/kg daily. For a听fully grown听adult to听research this threshold,听they would need to consume about 2400 plates of听tonka听bean听flavoured听desserts, in which case liver damage听would听probably听not be their major concern.听
In Canada, directly adding听coumarin听to food is illegal, but consuming听it through听other spices, like听tonka听产别补苍蝉, is not.听One of the most common ways that听coumarin听makes its way into our diets is actually through cinnamon, an extremely popular spice,听second only to black pepper. There are two kinds of cinnamon,听Ceylon (most from Sri Lanka known as听鈥�true cinnamon鈥�), and cassia (the cinnamon imposter from China and Indonesia).听It is听nearly impossible for consumers to tell the difference between the powered substances, save听geographic information on the听package. Both contain听coumarin, though the fake stuff has greater concentrations听than the Sri Lankan听variety听(1%听in cassia and only about听0.004%听in听ceylon).听Consuming incredible amounts of cassia cinnamon might increase the risk of听coumarin听induced听hepatotoxicity,听but听even to reach the recommended TDI of听coumarin听in cassia,听one听would need to consume 2g of cinnamon daily for several weeks.听T丑补迟鈥檚听about 24 standard cinnamon cookies every day for at least 3 weeks!听In听a 2012/2013听survey,听Health Canada found that听throughout the country, concentrations of听coumarin听in cinnamon products were not high enough to听be considered听threatening to human听health.听听
Thus听as long as you鈥檙e not听undergoing听daily 鈥渃innamon challenges鈥�, you鈥檙e quite safe to enjoy your听coumarin听flavored special desserts, just not 2400听servings on any given day.听听
