Vanilla
(Vanilla planifolia)
Description
Vanilla is the only spice from the orchid family. The large yellow flowers bloom for just one day, and in their place, pods develop that can grow to be 15 to 25 cm long. The pods are harvested before they ripen in order to prevent them from opening. After the pods have had boiling water poured over them, a long fermentation and drying process follows. During this process, the vanilla pods (also called “vanilla sticks”) turn blackish-brown and develop their characteristic taste and aroma.
Origin
Originally, the plant comes from South America. The most important places where it is produced are Mauritius, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, India, Ethiopia and Java. Vanilla is often called “Bourbon vanilla”, because one of the places that produces the best vanilla is the island of Réunion, a French colony formerly called “Île Bourbon”.
The Aztecs used vanilla to flavour chocolate.
Until 1841, it was a mystery why vanilla only grew in Mexico, and as a result, Mexico enjoyed a monopoly position. Only when it was discovered that a tiny honeybee and particular types of hummingbird that only occurred in Mexico were responsible for the pollination of the flower, could this be explained. Since then, the plant is also hand-fertilized, and produced in several places around the world.
Real vanilla is expensive, a fact which contributed to the development of a synthetic version in 1874. Synthetic vanilla is produced from clove oil. Today 80% of products containing vanilla make use of the synthetic type. Even the familiar vanilla sugar mostly does not contain real vanilla but the synthetic product. Synthetic vanilla has a heavier aroma and stronger after taste than real vanilla, which generally tastes better.
Did you know?
Vanilla is said to have an appetite-inducing effect and to aid digestion.
It is also claimed that vanilla stimulates the brain.
Europeans were the first to combine vanilla with tobacco, and still smoke it as pipe tobacco, amongst other things.
Vanilla is used to produce the most popular ice cream flavour. The cosmetics industry also makes use of vanilla in perfumes, for instance.
Quality
A vanilla pod should be slightly springy, and dark brown in colour. The best place to store vanilla is in an airtight container with sugar or in a vacuum pack. After use, the vanilla pod can be rinsed and used again, unless the seeds have been scraped out. When vanilla pods get a whitish layer forming on them, it does not mean that they are mouldy, but that the vanilla has crystallised out.
Uses
In itself, vanilla has little taste, but it has the special property of reinforcing the taste of products containing sugar. Its best-known use is in sweet dishes such as cake, puddings, ice cream, pancakes and custard. Vanilla can also be used with oysters and mussels, however. Some types of vegetable, fish, meat and potatoes also lend themselves well to combination with vanilla.