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Vanilla
Also called vanilla extract, vanilla bean
Cured pods of the vanilla orchid, or the alcohol extract pulled from them. Paste is seeds plus syrup; essence is often synthetic vanillin. This is the backbone of sticky toffee, Basque cheesecake, butter tarts and vanilla slice — not a savoury stew spice.
Origin
Mesoamerica, then Madagascar, Réunion, Tahiti and Mexico. Madagascar is the creamy default; Tahitian is more floral.
Flavour
Floral, creamy, woody. Synthetic vanillin is one-note ice-cream. Boiling extract hard drives the top notes off.
How it is made
Green pods are killed, sweated, dried and conditioned for months. Extract is pods macerated in alcohol.
How to use it
Add extract off the boil so the perfume stays — into custard after it thickens, into batter with the wet. Split a pod, scrape the seeds, and park the empty pod in sugar. Paste is stronger; use less. Cheap essence has nowhere to hide in a Basque cheesecake. Two teaspoons in a small batter just tastes of alcohol.
Storage
Extract in a dark cupboard lasts years. Pods airtight, cool, not in the fridge — they mould. A dry pod can still perfume warm milk.
Recipes using it
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