Spice Guide Entry For: Vanilla

This is the description page for Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the spice: Vanilla.

Vanilla represents the pods of orchids in the genus Vanilla. There are about 110 species in this genus, of which Vanilla planifolia is used to derive the spice. This is a vine growing to more than 35m in length, with alternate leaves spread along its length. The short, oblong, dark green leaves of the Vanilla are thick and leathery and each node produces long and strong aerial roots. Short-lived flowers arise successively on short peduncles from the leaf axils or scales. There may be up to 100 flowers on a single raceme, but usually no more than 20. The flowers are quite large and attractive with white, green, greenish yellow or cream colors. Each flower opens up in the morning and closes late in the afternoon, never to re-open. If pollinated, these mature to form the fruit (vanilla pod) which is an elongate, fleshy seed pod 10—20 cm long. It ripens gradually (8 to 9 months after flowering), eventually turning black in color and giving off a strong aroma. Each pod contains thousands of minute seeds, but it is the pod that is used to create commercial vanilla flavouring. Though most of the species in the genus Vanilla produce flavoursome pods, only Vanilla planifolia is used for industrial purposes.

The name derives from the Spanish word vanilla the diminutive of vania meaning 'sheath'. Like all the other vanilla vines Vanilla planifola is a a native of Mexico, though it is now widely grown throughout the tropics. Madagascar is the world's largest producer. Additional sources include Vanilla pompona and Vanilla tahitiensis (grown in Tahiti). For pollination (and thus fruit production) the Vanilla plant is totally dependent on a specific species of bee found in Mexico. Though attempts have been made to introduce this bee elsewhere, they have been unsuccessful. As a result, outside Mexico, the vanilla flowers are pollinated by hand.

Vanilla was a highly regarded flavoring in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and was brought back to Europe (and from there the rest of the world) by the Spanish Conquistadors. The main active compound in the vanilla pod is vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde). This is also present in many woods and products called 'vanilla essence' are usually vanillin chemically extracted from chipped wood.

As a spice vanilla comes either as the whole bean, vanilla powder or vanilla extract (this is an extract produced by dripping alchohol on split vanilla pods). Vanilla is highly fragrant with an exotic aroma. Vanilla is extensively used throughout the world in foods, confectionary, pharmaceuticals and beverages. Used almost exclusively in sweet cookery, vanilla is added to cakes, biscuits, puddings and desserts. Vanilla flavor in creams, cakes and other foodstuff may be achieved by adding some vanilla essence or by cooking vanilla beans in the liquid preparation. A stronger aroma may be attained if the pods are split in two; in this case, the innards of the beans (the seeds), consisting of flavorful tiny black grains, are mixed into the preparation. Natural vanilla gives a brownish to yellowish colour to preparations, depending on concentration. One major use of vanilla is in the flavouring of ice cream, indeed vanilla-flavoured ice cream is the most common type.

Vanilla-baked Plums
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Créme Anglaise
Cassata alla Siciliana