"Raj V" > wrote in message
...
> Here in Houston, you can buy real vanilla extract from Mexico very
cheaply.
> We have large grocery stores that specialize in Mexican food. My wife
bought
> a fancy looking 236 ml bottle from a Wisconsin specialty company for $12+
> and it is just not as good as the Mexican. The 750ml bottle from Mexico
cost
> about $7. Using it in baked goods has never seemed to degrade the taste.
For
> that price why use imitation?
>

There was a big discussion about Mexican vanilla here a few months back.
Some people are hesitant to use it because of fear of toxicity. Others
claim that most imported vanilla from Mexico is actually synthetic. Here is
a link to a page on the topic. I'm not make a claim either way, just
bringing up another point of view.
http://www.vanilla.com/html/facts-mexican.html