Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Vanilla

Madagascar accounts for roughly 80 percent of the world’s supply today, so that’s probably the “traditional” flavor you’re most used to.

Mexican vanilla is a little bolder and slightly smoky,

Tahitian vanilla is more delicate and floral.

Vanilla harvesting is a time and labor-intensive endeavor that defies automation. It’s an incredibly long process that can’t be rushed.

The vanilla orchids only open one day a year, and they must be hand-pollinated because this particular flower has only one natural pollinator the Melipona bee.

It takes the pods another eight to nine months to mature, and then they must be hand-picked while green. The pods must be cured, then wrapped in little blankets and dried, a three-to-six-month process during which they ferment and shrink down by 400 percent.

You can tell if a vanilla bean is really good based on how thick and plump it is, it should almost look a little moist.

Brands such as Nielsen-Massey, Heilala, Beanilla, the Vanilla Queen, and Burlap & Barrel are generally reliable.

Vanilla extract is made by macerating chopped vanilla bean pods in alcohol, which extracts the flavors and fragrances from the bean.

Look for pure vanilla extract, which must contain 13.35 ounces of vanilla beans per gallon during extraction and 35 percent alcohol. Beans and extract are interchangeable in most recipes, one whole vanilla bean is equivalent to one tablespoon of extract.