The Most Amazing Vanilla (Processing and Cooking Tips)

There are so many dishes that contain vanilla, one of the most valuable products in the kitchen. It’s hard to imagine vanilla inside some of these dishes. People who can’t imagine their life without sweets can name many desserts with a vanilla taste. Vanilla is also very useful to our bodies for blood sugar regulation and antioxidants. So, do not hesitate to make something sweet with a taste of vanilla and test your luck at live sports betting.

Vanilla is the most romantic spice in the world because its pods are the fruit of a wonderful orchid. The smallest birds in the world, hummingbirds, are responsible for pollinating vanilla flowers, and their existence is geographically minimal. When vanilla grows far from hummingbirds, it is only with human help and manual pollination, which is not easy. The flowers open only once a day and for a short time. This spice is such an unusual sissy!

Vanilla planifolia is a tropical climbing plant with long thin green pods that are naturally unripe. After drying and fermentation, the green pods decrease in weight by four times, turn dark brown and acquire their unique aroma.

Vanilla pod, flower, cream, and oil centred on a table cloth

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Historical Notes on Vanilla Production and Consumption

Vanilla’s homeland is Southern Mexico. Its modern name comes from the Spanish “vainilla,” which in turn goes back to the Latin “vagina,” meaning both “sheath” and an intimate female organ. The shape of the pod really resembles a narrow sheath. The ancient Aztecs cultivated vanilla and called it “tlilxochitl” (black flower). They added it to the chocolate drink chocolatl (chocolatl) from cocoa beans and mixed it with honey, hot water, and red pepper.

The first European who tasted the “divine nectar” was Hernan Cortes. This significant event happened on November 14, 1519, after he conquered the great Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. The ancient recipe he tasted still exists to date. It turned out that vanilla successfully emphasizes the taste of chocolate. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadors brought the pods of the “black flower.” Vanilla was then very expensive and supplied exclusively to the table of royal people.

Interestingly, the Americans (European immigrants) became addicted to vanilla only at the end of the 18th century, even though the pods grew literally under their noses. This was after Thomas Jefferson, who visited France, tasted the spice in a gourmet French dessert. The slogan “Give vanilla to the masses” was probably perceived by the masses with understanding and jubilation. By the 19th century, Americans could not imagine how one could enjoy life without vanilla ice cream. According to experts, in 1932, 75–80% of products produced in the United States ice cream were vanilla.

About Vanilla Production and Processing

Vanilla pods are harvested green. If they are allowed to ripen at the place of collection, they will open and lose their commercial value. They undergo semi-annual processing, first through soaking in water. Then, they are wrapped in a cloth to make them sweat and dried in the sun to evaporate the water. Finally, they are left to ferment in a ventilated room, where the pods will develop their unique aroma and taste.

There are more than a hundred orchids of the vanilla family worldwide. Yet it is Vanilla planifolia that provides 99% of the vanilla on the market. The other 1% comes from Vanilla tahitensis, native to Tahiti. It has a pleasant aroma, but the taste does not compare with the market leader. Vanilla orchids grow in the tropics of Mexico, Réunion, Uganda, Tonga, Tahiti, and Indonesia. Though, Madagascar is the purveyor of the highest quality vanilla.

As a rare occurrence among spices, vanilla does not have many medicinal properties except for one thing. Its lovely, festive, and honey scent can uplift your mood and may help treat depression.

Cooking Tips Using Vanilla

Traditionally, vanilla and its derivatives are common in desserts like milk puddings, ice cream, and sweet sauces. But vanilla also works well to season savory dishes like fatty meat and poultry and some types of fish and seafood. Vanilla sugar is easy to make by putting a vanilla bean cut lengthwise into fine sugar and sealing it tightly for 3-5 days.

Vanilla extract is an infrequent guest in our stores, but you can easily make a similar one at home. Chop 3-4 pods of fresh vanilla on a surface from which it will be easy to collect all the precious seeds and transfer them to a tightly closed glass jar. Douse it with boiling water and dry it. Then, pour 1/2 cup of vodka, close, and place in a dark place for at least one month. If you want an extract with a stronger aroma and taste, allow the mixture to stand for six months.