Category: Spices

Because vanilla is the world’s most labor-intensive crop, vanilla beans have never been cheap, but with a ready supply, it is usually affordable – except when it isn’t. Shortages due to typhoons, cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, or political instability occur roughly every five to ten years. Is real vanilla expensive? But keep in mind that vanilla […]

When vanilla flavored foods have bits of the bean there are black (really dark brown) flecks. But the vanillin itself which lends the flavor is essentially colorless. The quantity is so small that even if it were darkly colored it wouldn’t make any difference — it’s very diluted. Is vanilla actually black? It is true […]

If you’ve ever tried vanilla extract, you’ll notice that it’s a very unpleasant experience. Yet, how can something that enhances a dish taste so bad when taken orally? Vanilla extract is 35% alcohol, with the rest being water and vanilla extractives. Can I drink vanilla extract straight? When taken by mouth: Vanilla is LIKELY SAFE […]

It is true that Vanilla beans are brown in color and it is interesting that with this brown color ingredient, Vanilla Ice Cream is still white. Well, the vast majority of vanilla flavoring comes in the form of extract. Is pure vanilla clear or brown? Clear vanilla is pure, synthetic vanillin made by chemists. It’s […]

The main species harvested for vanilla is V. planifolia. Although it is native to Mexico, it is now widely grown throughout the tropics. Indonesia and Madagascar are the world’s largest producers. Where does vanilla grow naturally? Nielsen-Massey sources vanilla from the world’s primary vanilla-growing countries: Madagascar, Mexico, Tahiti (including French Polynesian Islands), Papua New Guinea, […]

Popular Flavors Of course, chocolate isn’t the only popular cake flavor around. But it was chosen as the most popular. 58% of respondents named chocolate as their favorite cake flavor of the options listed. Vanilla came in second place, followed by strawberry, red velvet and raspberry. Which is better vanilla or chocolate cake? Vanilla is […]

As a noun, vanilla refers to our most fragrant and complex flavor, the one we use to improve everything from cheesecake to chocolate. But as an adjective, it is a pejorative, employed to describe anything common, generic, or bland. Is vanilla boring? (Urban Dictionary’s top definition for “vanilla” is “unexciting, normal, conventional, boring.”) Essentially, using […]

ancient Mexico. THE world’s two favorite flavorings, chocolate and vanilla, were first used by the Aztec Indians of ancient Mexico. Chocolate was valued so highly that taxes were paid with it, and small bags containing a specified number of cacao beans were used as currency. What was first chocolate or vanilla? Because they think vanilla […]

Popular Flavors Of course, chocolate isn’t the only popular cake flavor around. But it was chosen as the most popular. 58% of respondents named chocolate as their favorite cake flavor of the options listed. Vanilla came in second place, followed by strawberry, red velvet and raspberry. What flavor cake is most popular? Most Popular Cake […]

Those who prefer vanilla, a climbing orchid that bears long podlike fruit, praise its aromatic sweetness and note that it enhances the flavor of chocolate, which unembellished would be dull and kind of flat—in short, vanilla. Do chocolate and vanilla go together? Vanilla is the most common flavor pairing with chocolate. Many candy manufacturers add […]

Dark chocolate is fairly simple in composition. It is typically made from two ingredients — chocolate liquor and sugar. Sometimes small amounts of vanilla and soy lecithin (an emulsifier) are added. Is there vanilla extract in chocolate? Even when it’s not explicitly mentioned, vanilla in chocolate is often bundled up under the blanket of nature […]

“Vanilla, as Roberts’s second sense already anticipates, generalizes as slang for boring or safe,” Kelly says, adding that in the ’80s, it was used in this way within the computer science world to describe uninteresting’ computer programs. Vanilla has also long had a racial dimension in slang, he tells me. Is vanilla a boring flavor? […]

Accounts of the Aztec civilization reveal that “cacahuatl” or “chocolati,” delicately flavored with vanilla and spices, was the favorite beverage of the Indians. The Spaniards adopted the drink with enthusiasm. They introduced it to Spain about 1519, but kept its source a jealously guarded secret for almost a century. What was first chocolate or vanilla? […]

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Julie’s Organic Classic Vanilla Ice Cream. Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Turkey Hill All Natural Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Which ice cream brand has best vanilla? Breyer’s Natural Vanilla Ice Cream. Homemade Brand Natural Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Blue Bunny Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. Graeter’s Madagascar Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. […]

Special Precautions and Warnings. When taken by mouth: Vanilla is LIKELY SAFE when taken by mouth in amounts commonly found in foods. However, some people are allergic to vanilla. It might also cause headache and sleep problems (insomnia), especially for people who manufacture vanilla extract. Is vanilla inflammatory? Vanillin, a primary component of vanilla bean […]

Vanilla is the most common flavor pairing with chocolate. Many candy manufacturers add either pure vanilla or vanillin (an artificial vanilla flavor) to their chocolate candies, resulting in a light vanilla undertone that many people are used to. Beyond basic vanilla, chocolate goes well with almost any fruit flavor. Why do chocolate and vanilla go […]

Vanilla and chocolate are on the opposite ends of the scale of chocolates in color and taste. The processes of making vanilla chocolates are the same as with dark chocolate, the difference is in the ingredients. Vanilla chocolate is made from sugar, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder and vanilla. Is chocolate a vanilla? Most […]