The Tonka bean is a cacao bean harvested from the Dipteryx odorata tree found in the Guiana region of France. The bean is almond shaped with a shrivelled appearance and possesses a fragrant appeal. The flavour of the Tonka bean contains hints of vanilla, almond, and coffee. In 1985, the U.S. FDA banned the Tonka bean in ingestible uses such as a flavouring additive in cigarettes and vanilla extract, as a result of the presence of coumarin in the bean. Coumarin is considered to be a drug that acts as a blood thinning agent. While banned as a food additive in the U.S, the Tonka bean is not illegal in many other countries, including the U.K. and France. The Tonka bean’s fragrant properties also make it a popular ingredient in a variety of perfumes.