Vanilla Bean Profile
Also known as
Vanilla planifolia, Vanilla, Sweet Bean, and Vanilla Pods.
Introduction
Vanilla * it may easily be one of the most well-known flavors in the world. The flavor is derived from the ripened fruit of a tropical orchid, the vanilla planifolia. In the wild, vanilla vines may grow to the length of 80 feet or more. Vanilla is the only orchid in the world that produces an edible fruit * but the process of producing that fruit is a lengthy and painstaking one. Vanilla orchids grow on aerial vines that attach themselves to living trees. The mature plant produces pods similar to bean pods, from six to nine inches long. It is these pods, which contain the ripe fruit of the vanilla plant, that are used to produce the vanilla spice. While vanilla extract is widely used as a flavoring, many gourmet chefs insist that true vanilla flavor can only be derived from the pod itself. In addition to its use as a food flavoring, vanilla is used to scent everything from perfumes to candles and lotions. It is also used in medicine as a flavoring and to improve the appetite.
Constituents
Vanillin, and about 130 other substances, including phenols, esters, acid, carbohydrates, alcohol
Parts Used
Ripe and fermented fruit (pod), also called the bean
Typical Preparations
The whole bean may be used in food, tea, and cosmetics, and is abundantly found as a liquid flavoring extract in a base of alcohol.
Summary
Vanilla beans are a misnomer. The long, thin pods of the vanilla orchid are actually the mature fruit of the orchid plant. It is one of the most expensive spices in the world to produce, being both labor and time intensive. The sweet, bland flavor is one of the most popular the world over, and while it is considered "plain", it is really a complex layering of sweet and spicy flavors that have been used for centuries to flavor everything from chocolate to milk.
Precautions
None known.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
