Spice Collection
More Than Just Plain Jane
Vanilla Spice
Vanilla is a classic flavor for confections, and it belongs to the orchid family. The eastern indigenous Totonacs of Veracruz, Mexico, cultivated vanilla around 1115 CE. The Aztec mixed it with chocolate and introduced it to the conquistadors as Xocohotl.
It grows in living tree bark, and it’s only fertilized by the melipona bee. Its global trade made beautiful blooms in Madagascar and Réunion, but it failed to produce bean pods. Edmond Albius earned freedom from enslavement at 12 years old, and he did so by developing a method to propagate them. He did it with a blade of grass and a thumb flick.
Nomenclature: Vanilla planifolia Tastes: Sweet, caramelly, marshmallow Uses: Drinks, baked goods, jellies, puddings, perfumes, folk medicine Origin: Central/South America
Recipe: Vanilla Extract (GF/V)
Ingredients: Vanilla beans & vodka. See link.