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Every dessert recipe is incomplete without a dash of vanilla. But did you know that only 1 per cent of the world’s vanilla essence is made from real vanilla beans?
In fact, vanilla is actually a spice that is derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla. The word vanilla has its roots in the Spanish word “vania” meaning little pod.
Real vanilla beans can cost an upward of 600 dollars per kilogram and only a handful of places around the world can grow them. Vanilla beans can only be cultivated 10-20 degrees in either direction of the equator so typically countries like Madagascar, Tahiti, Mexico, Uganda and Indonesia have adequate climatic conditions.
So generally, the stuff you get in the store is artificial vanilla extract. A major contribution to sky-high vanilla prices is the fact that the plant is just so difficult to grow. They have a short flowering period and there’s difficulty in pollination and even then the process doesn’t end. The crop, then, must be cured and dried, and so from beginning to end the process takes about a year.
Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in a solution of water and ethyl alcohol, such as vodka. The alcohol extracts the flavour from the vanilla beans and we get a vanilla extract. Higher-end extracts tend to omit the corn syrup and use premium ingredients, but the price tag can be even heftier.
Since the real vanilla extract is rare to come by, should we spring for the vanilla beans?
Yes, if you love baking you know any dish is only as good as its ingredients, and vanilla beans in place of imitation vanilla essence will definitely bring an edge to your recipe. The price is high, but the end product is absolutely worth it especially in recipes that have a strong vanilla influence like creme brulee or vanilla cake.
