Spices and Herbs (Vanilla)

Vanilla
(Planifolia, Pompona And Tahitiensis)
Vanilla beans are from the above three orchid varieties. Of the many thousands of varieties of orchids these are the only three that bear edible fruit. It is a rather small plain yellow orchid that produces these long pods. Vanilla Planifolia has a more intense flavour than the other two varieties.
The pods look like green beans when ripe and after they are picked, they need to dry and then ferment to develop that rich flavor. It is a complicated process involving many months, that is why vanilla is so expensive. Vanilla beans are grown in tropical climates only. Vanilla originated in Mexico. Until the late 19th century, Mexico had the monopoly on growing vanilla, but now Madagascar and Indonesia grow the majority of the world's crop. Other countries that grow vanilla include Guatemala, Costa Rica, Uganda, China, India, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji, Tahiti, and the Philippines.
There are three main commercial preparations of natural vanilla:
a) whole pod
b) powder (ground pods, kept pure or blended with sugar, starch or other ingredients)
c) extract (in alcoholic solution)

Vanilla flavouring in food may be achieved by adding vanilla extract or by cooking vanilla pods in the liquid preparation. A stronger aroma may be attained if the pods are split in two, exposing more of the pod's surface area to the liquid. In this case, the pods' seeds are mixed into the preparation. Natural vanilla gives a brown or yellow colour to preparations, depending on the concentration.
A major use of vanilla is in the flavouring of ice cream, cakes and certain desserts. The most common flavour of ice cream is vanilla, and thus most people consider it to be the standard flavour.

cooking baking flavour flavor vanilla spice