Green vanilla pods- Vanilla is a flavoring, in its pure form known as vanillin, derived from orchids in the genus Vanilla.
- There are two main species of vanilla - Tahitian and Burbon (aka Mexican)
- Native to Mexico
- Vanilla is a vine
- Vanilla is the world's most labor-intensive agricultural crop, which is why it's so expensive.
- It takes up to three years after the vines are planted before the first flowers appear.
Vanilla Flower- Because vanilla has always been so valuable, it has a long history of robbery and intrigue. In Madagascar, vanilla rustling was a major problem for many years. Growers branded the individual beans when they were green and the markings remained after they were dried.
Dried whole vanilla beans- Since vanilla is in demand, and because it's so expensive, synthetics are often used instead of natural vanilla. In fact, 97% of vanilla used as a flavor and fragrance is synthetic.
What is your favorite recipe using Vanilla?
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Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla
http://www.vanilla.com/html/facts-fastfacts.html
11 comments:
i'm one of those weirdos who prefers vanilla to chocolate... i use vanilla flavouring in almost every sweet thing i bake... thanks for the info on this superstar of baking!!
Thanks for the info on vanilla! I love the photo of the green pods! :)
I don't have one favorite recipe using vanilla. ;) I have too many. ALL desserts need vanilla. Lol!
I think I like good quality vanilla more than chocolate. Am I weird?
I think vanilla is a very interesting spice. Thanks for putting all the information together! I don't cook much with vanilla... maybe my favorite vanilla dish is good old vanilla ice cream.
I don't know that I have a favorite, and I must admit that I've never used fresh vanilla beans, only extract. I do LOVE using it and never measure. I usually end up using more than is called for. I did, however, just recently make Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes and you could DEFINITELY taste the vanilla! :-)
Teddy, my favorite recipe using vanilla would be taking vanilla ice cream and adding cookies and calling it a day.
Great facts. I love vanilla and use it in almost everything that I bake.
I have yet to try the whold bean though. I would love to, but I always stop myself when I see the price :(
My new favorite is adding vanilla bean in my smoothies. Delicious!
mmm...vanilla. I have one bottle of the good stuff that I savour and only use for special occasions. The rest of the time I use the extract
This was a great post Teddy, thanks for all the info. and photos about vanilla. I love it too.
everything and anything. i ADORE vanilla! vanilla ice cream, vanilla caramels, vanilla custards, etc.
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