The tonka bean is the “almond” contained in the fruit of a South American tree, Dipteryx odorata. It grows wild in the Amazon and Orinoco Basins. The fruits reach maturity in the winter and begin to fall. They are gathered in the forest from February to April. A stone tool is used to break the fruit and collect the bean, which has a brown skin and ivory-colored flesh. In the past few years, tonka bean has been used as a food flavor. It can be grated directly on desserts or macerated in sauces and sweetened creams.
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