- Glossary
- Vanilla - the queen of spices in pastry making
Vanilla - the queen of spices in pastry making
Vanilla is an aromatic spice obtained from fermented pods of tropical orchids of the genus Vanilla. It is the second most expensive spice in the world due to demanding cultivation and hand pollination of flowers. It has a sweet, floral, and warm aroma that is essential in pastry making. The finest vanilla comes from Madagascar and is known as Bourbon vanilla. It is used in ice cream, creams, desserts, and chocolate. A quality pod should be supple, dark, and covered with tiny vanillin crystals.
- Vanilla originates from Mexico, where the Aztecs were the first to use it to flavor cocoa.
- Vanilla flowers must be hand-pollinated because their natural pollinators only live in Mexico.
- The fermentation process of vanilla pods takes 6-9 months and includes sun drying.
- Madagascar produces over 80% of the world's vanilla supply and sets its global price.
Nutritional values (100 g of product contains)
Energy
288 kcal
14 %
Proteins
60 mg
< 1 %
Fats
60 mg
< 1 %
Carbohydrates
13 g
5 %
Fiber
0 g
0 %
Salt
23 mg
< 1 %
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