TL;DR with the important stuff bumped (I hate, hate, hate clickbait and burying the lede): Tonka beans, containing the toxic-to-the-liver chemical Coumarin, ar

TL;DR with the important stuff bumped (I hate, hate, hate clickbait and burying the lede): Tonka beans, containing the toxic-to-the-liver chemical Coumarin, are banned for use in food in the US but still used in some high-end restaurants and bakeries, leading to occasional FDA raids. The beans impart flavors akin to vanilla, lavender, cherries, and grass, due to their sharing some chemical components. They're probably safe in small amounts, making the ban controversial. If you have certain rare enzyme disorders or (obviously) existing liver damage, however, the risk of harm is higher. The chemical is present in smaller but still-large amounts in certain other foods and spices, notably common cassia "cinnamon"—the less-common true cinnamon contains only trace amounts. The use of Tonka/Coumarin in non-food products is unregulated, and it is in fact used in cigarettes, e-cigs, and cosmetics. It can be absorbed through the lungs and skin. Tonka bean: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipteryx_odorata https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipteryx_odorata https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_cassia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_cassia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_verum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_verum