Little over a century has passed since vanilla was introduced into the market for commercial use. Nowadays, vanilla in its pure and natural form is available in supermarkets, gourmet shops and convenience stores. Vanilla is widely used in culinary purposes as a spice or food ingredient. Pure and natural vanilla extracts are in demand nowadays not just as a main ingredient or flavoring in dishes and pastries but as scents for perfumes, lotions, aroma therapy and herbal medicines. What sets vanilla apart from other spices is its unique aroma and taste.

Organic vanilla extracts are now cultivated in different parts of the world with Madagascar, Mexico, Tahiti and Indonesia as the major players. Other countries where vanilla is grown are Jamaica, India, Costa Rica Jamaica and Uganda. The all-natural vanilla extracts are quite expensive because of its cultivation and processing history. It is ideal for use in breads and cookies, ice cream, smoothies and other beverages and tasty treats. Real organic vanilla was first produced and used in Madagascar, the major supplier of vanilla all over the world.

Vanilla in any form, may it be in extract, beans, pods, powder or paste has a strong appeal to the masses because of its distinctive aroma that’s sweet and captivating, mild yet arousing. Because of its aroma, vanilla is also used as a way to crash down on food intake. The smell of vanilla in meat sauces, marinades and dishes can already make a person feel satiated in hunger.

To complement the aroma is the sweet taste of vanilla. Some chefs blend vanilla with their gourmet dishes in order to potentiate the flavor of the gourmet. When mixed with citrus, vanilla masks the tangy taste of the fruit. However, not all vanilla byproducts – beans, pods, extracts, sugars and pastes taste the same. The flavor of vanilla is dependent to where it is cultivated. For some, the vanilla that came from Tahiti is the most flavorful.

Because vanilla in its natural form is a very expensive commodity, other people settle on using synthetic vanilla extracts and flavors in their baking and cooking needs that are found in grocery stores and super markets. However, these artificially made vanilla extracts are still no match to the high grade quality of the all-natural vanilla products – extracts, vanilla pods, vanilla beans, paste and powder. When you buy vanilla, it is always wise to buy it in its natural form to maximize the other benefits it brings.

What makes pure natural vanilla more favorable compared to synthetic vanilla among chefs and household moms in their baking pleasures? The answer lies mainly on one thing; the taste. Pure vanilla is very expensive in the sense that among the hundreds of spices listed, vanilla is the most labor-intensive and requires more than a year to produce. The name vanilla comes from the Spanish word vainilla which means little pod.

The three major exporters and makers of the finest vanilla in the world are located in Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico. Most of the supplies of vanilla around the world come from Madagascar which amounts to a total of 70-80% of the global supply of vanilla. When it comes to aroma, the vanilla coming from Tahiti is the most favored because of its enticing and intoxicating scent. For some, the vanilla that came from Mexico is the most flavorful of all.

Nowadays, due to advancements in research and studies, synthetic form of vanilla was created. However, this form of vanilla is nothing compared to the pure and natural vanilla. Both differ in so many aspects with the natural form of vanilla taking the most credit and favor despite of the cheapness of the synthetic form.

Because cultivating vanilla and producing vanilla extracts and byproducts requires intensive labor, it is also very costly. One whole vanilla pod contains minutes black vanilla beans that produce up to 2-3 teaspoons of rich vanilla extract. This is the reason why the vanilla bean pods are highly valued and appreciated. The vanilla extract is used in food flavoring and other purposes like ingredients in perfumes, lotions and medicinal purposes. This aromatic spice is also useful in assisting a person in his or her weight loss regimen as well as arousal of sex drive.

The synthetic form of vanilla is poorer in quality especially when it comes to taste. Those that are sold in the market are far from coming close to the original vanilla taste. The big difference among the two is that synthetic or artificially made vanilla is not even real vanilla. Artificial vanilla is dark in color while the original form of vanilla is clear. Some of the artificially made vanillas that are sold in the market nowadays are made from the substances that are found in the sap of certain trees.

Pure vanilla stays longer whereas synthetic vanillas don’t. This is because of the fact that pure vanilla extracts contain alcohol, necessary in creating and maintaining rich flavor and aroma; whereas the synthetic form don’t. Synthetic vanillas also contain red dye that is responsible for their dark murky color.

When you buy vanilla beans or vanilla extracts and the likes, see to it that they are all natural. Be careful in buying those cheap vanillas that are sold in the market as most of them are unnatural.

Vanilla is also known as a potent aphrodisiac. The intoxicating aroma of vanilla comes from the vanilla beans that are encapsulated within the vanilla pods. While still young and unprocessed, vanilla pods are odorless. You will only notice the scent of the vanilla during the curing process. In 1518, during Cortez’s conquests of the new world, emperor Montezuma of the Aztecs was fond of drinking a regal beverage known as Chocolatl. This chocxolatl is a chocolate drink with a mixture of pure vanilla extract. This is how they discovered the aphrodisiac property of vanilla. Upon knowing this, Cortez took the spice with him back in Spain.

The use of vanilla as an aphrodisiac can be dated back in the 1700s, when a series of test was done to check for the male potency. The impotent subjects were made to drink the pure vanilla extracts. After the test, these men had their mojos back and became astonishing lovers. After which, vanilla was then popularly known as a potent aphrodisiac. Before, vanilla extracts are drunk to experience its id effect. It was eventually found out that the enticing smell of vanilla is also as powerful enough.

Some of the Totonaca people even wore vanilla beans on their hats, while some women bad vanilla extracts behind their ears and pulse points to attract men. This is what made vanilla also a popular choice of fragrance in perfumes. After which vanilla also became popular in the kitchen where it is used to give the recipes their sensual aroma and palatability.

There is really something about the vanilla aroma that draws people especially men into it. For some, they find the vanilla aroma as something that’s sweet, pure yet exotic and denotes a sexy feel. Of all the available aromatherapy scents, vanilla is the one smell that mature men find arousing. This is according to the research study and test conducted by a neurologist Alan Hirsch in Chicago.

The sense of taste and smell are two important factors when it comes to the arena of love. The Heliotropin, the sweet and exotic fragrance of vanilla is responsible for the soothing and sexual effect of vanilla to the human body. Notice how vanilla can affect a person’s central nervous system? Amazing isn’t it? Whether you choose to drink, or mix vanilla with food, or even use as a perfume, vanilla is indeed a potent aphrodisiac.

There is a lot more to vanilla than just a bon appetite. Other than its use in one of the chef’s main courses or desserts, vanilla has always been a favorable scent for perfumes, lotions and in candles. However, vanilla doesn’t just stop there. We owe the heavenly scent and the rich flavorful taste of vanilla to its organic components such as vanillin, glycerin, glucovanillin and sugar. Other than the aroma and flavor, Vanilla also yields a lot of useful health advantages in which everybody can benefit from especially from the vanilla beans.

Before, even until now, vanilla is used to aid in discomforts of the stomach. It offers great relief to a queasy stomach. Feeling nauseous is the last thing any person would want to have. If you are nauseated because of pregnancy, or just underwent chemotherapy, the best natural and organic way to fight off that nausea is to by adding a few drops of vanilla extract in water and drink it. It will help you ease up your queasy stomach. You might also want to try breathing in the aroma as you sip the water with vanilla. This will also help you relax.

Vanilla also has a carcinogenic effect. Scientific studies have showed that the vanillin in the processed and cured vanilla beans inhibits the development of fast growing abnormal cells in the breasts. So to the ladies and gentlemen out there, make to incorporate natural vanilla extracts in your drinks and foods. Natural form of vanilla extracts and vanilla beans might be expensive, but think about the money you can save from hospital bills, operation cost and chemo therapy cost when you have a breast cancer.

Vanilla is also a potent antioxidant. It rids your body with the free radicals which are responsible in the early aging of your skin. It is also a good moisturizer, leaving your skin soft and supple. With its anti-oxidant property, the extract from the vanilla beans may also be associated with its ant carcinogenic property. It used as Vanilla is also an anti-allergenic. It prevents allergies associated to hypersensitivity to products or pollens and other allergy causing allergens.

These are just some of the many healthful benefits of vanilla. Through continuous research and scientific studies, researchers are still looking for ways on how vanilla can be useful in our health aside from its purpose as a spice. There are many types of vanilla and one type which is considered to the best vanilla is the Bourbon vanilla beans made in Madagascar Island. When you buy vanilla beans, see to it that you get the right quality of vanilla.

Vanilla beans are seed pods of the orchid planifolia and are categorized according to the region from which they are cultivated like Mexican, Tahitian, and Indonesian. The Madagascar vanilla is called Bourbon vanilla because the island of Madagascar was previously called Bourbon Island.

It takes about a year to cultivate and grow vanilla beans and requires extensive human labor in terms of hand pollinating each vanilla vine to produce flowers that bear the vanilla bean pods after a few hours blooming which remains in the vine for nine months. Ripened vanilla beans are still green in color and still odorless.

It is after harvesting that the vanilla beans are cured and processed. The curing processes of vanilla beans also vary from country to country and should be done 7 days after the beans are harvested, but generally, the process involves the exposure of the vanilla bean pods to extreme heat. Ways of heat exposure could be in the form of submerging the beans in boiling water, exposure to sunlight, or placing the beans over fire with the use of mats. The heating process is intended to stop the ripening of the bean pods.

The beans are exposed to heat everyday during the day and are alternately brought into shade at night and covered to allow the beans to sweat for 48 to 72 hours; exceeding this time frame will cause the beans to rot. This process is done for several weeks. With the repeated curing process, the vanilla beans will eventually dry and start to develop natural vanillin. Vanillin is the natural extract of vanilla beans that gives vanilla its unique and enticing flavor and aroma. With proper curing, the vanilla beans turn into dark brown and begin to show wrinkles.

After the curing process, the beans are slowly dried. By this time, they now have heavy longitudinal wrinkles and become sinuous with a leathery feel. The dried beans are then classified according to length and are bundled, tied and conditioned by pacing them inside the metal or wooden boxes that are lined with wax papers for 60 days. After two months, the bundled vanilla bean pods are then wrapped in wax papers and sealed in containers that do not allow air circulation and made ready for market distribution.

The overall curing process of the vanilla has to be done with utmost care because the condensed moisture of the bean pods is ideal for bacterial and fungal growth that can damage the product. Constant checking of the been pods is recommended to monitor and detect infestation and infection.

We all know that vanilla is used mainly for culinary purposes - as the main ingredient vanilla recipes and the all-time favorite vanilla ice cream as well as to add flavor and aroma to most tasty treats like cakes, pastries, and other beverages. Because of its sweet smelling aroma, vanilla is also widely used as in perfumery. But did you know that vanilla has a welcoming and intoxicating effect to our body’s Central Nervous System?

After curing, the vanilla beans produce an essential oil known as vanillin. The vanillin oil is responsible for the distinct aroma of vanilla that’s sensual and calming and gives vanilla a taste that’s exotic; probably the reason why the Aztec Indians used vanilla as an aphrodisiac and even up to now, it is still patronized as one. Scientific studies show that vanilla has a striking effect to our body’s Central Nervous System by arousing one’s libido. The lusting effect of vanilla to one’s libido is brought about by the production of sexual hormones – estrogen for females and testosterone for males – as stimulated by the brain. Vanilla recipes, like the vanilla smoothie is one good sample of the use of vanilla as an aphrodisiac.

Notice how vanilla is widely used in aromatherapy nowadays? This is because of the fact that vanillin, the essential oil of cured vanilla beans, gives our strained nerves a relaxing and calming effect. At times when you feel angry, anxious or restless, aromatherapy using vanilla essence is a good way to relax your nerves.

Do you ever wonder why it’s nice to eat ice cream, especially vanilla flavored ice cream during times when your feel depressed? Yes, it can be attributed to the sweet and flavorful taste of the vanilla ice cream that for a moment you tend to forget what upsets you. But actually, you owe that good feeling not to the ice cream perse’, but to vanilla. This is because vanilla has an anti-depressant property. It creates a sense of euphoria, making you feel better.

Because of its relaxing and calming effects to the body, vanilla is also used as a mild tranquilizer or sedative. Again, this is because of the vanillin’s effect to our central nervous system, particularly to the brain. So at times when you find it hard to sleep or feel anxious, try applying vanilla scented lotion all over your body or light up a candle that’s scented with vanilla and feel it’s soothing effect.

Now you know that vanilla is not solely intended as spice for vanilla recipes and other cuisine, but also a very good anti-depressant, aphrodisiac and relaxant. Because of the wondrous benefits that it offers, vanilla is indeed one of nature’s valuable gifts.

Vanilla is an edible fruit of the Vanilla Planifolia, an orchid family of the tropics, mostly grown in Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico. Bourbon vanilla, the one coming from Madagascar and the Tahitian vanilla are the two most commercially used vanillas. Vanilla was originally cultivated by the Totonaca people in Mexico, with which they considered as a precious gift from their gods.

Vanilla is considered world’s second most expensive spice because it is the world’s most labor-intensive agricultural product. The cultivation of the vanilla vines takes 3 years before it can flourish. Vanillas are also hand pollinated in order to grow. They would thrive best in places where the consistency of the soil is loose and high in organic content. The fruits of the vanilla are known as the vanilla beans. These vanilla beans have to stay on the vines for nine months in order for it to completely mature and develop. While on this form, vanilla has neither fragrance nor flavor even until they are harvested. The unique fragrance and flavor of vanilla are only developed once they are processed and cured.

After they are harvested, the vanilla beans are brewed in hot water. After which, the brewed vanilla beans are shrunken to almost 20% of their original size by exposing them under direct sunlight for several weeks to months. This is now the time that the vanilla’s flavor and fragrance develop. Once dried, the vanilla pods are then sorted out according to sizes.

Madagascar is considered to be a poor country despite of the richness of its land and major wildlife. Because of its poor economic state, one very common problem that most vanilla farmers face is the rustling of their vanilla products. And with that, all cultivators have branded their beans while in the vines. The markings stay on the pods even when they’re dried. Because of their distinctive markings, the growers can easily determine if their beans are stolen.

The Madagascar vanilla or the Bourbon vanilla is considered to be the most expensive and the finest vanilla in the world. When you buy vanilla, as much as possible, choose only the one that came from Madagascar.

Vanilla is also expensive because of the fact that it has a lot of use. Other than being famous for culinary purposes and fragrances in perfumes and lotions, vanilla is also used as flavor for medicines. It’s also used to mask or lessen the smell or industrial tires.

Vanilla is a tropical vine of the orchid family that is grown in certain parts of the world like Indonesia, Tahiti, Mexico and Madagascar. Despite of its economic condition, Madagascar is known to be the leading exporter of vanilla all over the world. As of now there are three kinds of vanilla beans that are commonly used; Bourbon vanilla beans, Mexican vanilla beans and Tahitian vanilla beans. Bourbon vanilla is considered to be the most expensive of all vanilla beans.

Second most expensive spice all over the world, vanilla is a popular ingredient for almost any recipes – cakes, pastries, ice cream, beverages and a lot more. Other than its use for culinary purposes, vanilla is also known for its medicinal usage. Before, vanilla is used as an aphrodisiac. It’s also a useful anti-depressant and an anti-cancer agent. Vanilla is also popularly known for its sweet aroma that’s why is used as fragrance for perfumes and body lotion.

Vanilla started out originally as a spice. Second to saffron, vanilla is the most expensive spice in the world because of the extensive labor that is required in the production of vanilla. So why is vanilla used as an ingredient? Vanilla is used in almost all vanilla recipes because it gives an aromatic sweet flavor to any recipe. Vanillin, the pure form of vanilla is what really gives vanilla its original flavor and scent.

Vanilla is popularly used as an ingredient and flavoring for desserts like in creams, cakes and pastries. The vanilla flavor in this food stuff may be achieved by adding some vanilla essence or by cooking vanilla pods or beans. The tiny vanilla beans or seeds contained in the vanilla pods are used to make any recipe more flavorful with its sweet flowery flavor when mixed.

Because of its fruity top note flavor, vanilla is popularly used as flavoring for ice creams; thus the vanilla ice cream is termed as a common or plain ice cream flavor. Vanilla is also used in appetizers or in salad dressings. Beverages like coffee, milk and wines also have vanilla in them. Vanilla is sometimes mixed with home made herbal medicines to make a flowery sweet flavor.

Vanilla is used in almost any recipe there is. Nowadays, because vanilla in its original form is very expensive, synthetic vanilla flavors are sold in the market. They yield the same aromatic smell like the original ones, however they differ in taste. The synthetic form of vanilla lacks sweetness.

Vanilla is one of the oldest and the widely used spice in the world, not to mention the second most expensive. It is popular for its use in culinary purposes. Other than just being an ingredient to any vanilla recipes, vanilla is also known for its healthful benefits as in aromatherapy, anti-depressant and anti-cancer, and a lot more. It is also a popular choice for fragrance in perfumes and body lotions. Most of us, who are not inclined in the culinary scene, are only familiar with the synthetic vanilla that is sold in the market. So what is the true form of vanilla?

Originally, vanilla is an orchid flower of the Vanilla Planifolia species. There are other vanilla flower species like Vanilla pompona and Vanilla tahitiensis that are also utilized in the production of vanilla, however the former is species is most favored because of its high concentration of vanillin, the one responsible for the rich aromatic flavor and scent of vanilla. The vanilla flower after some time produces a pod which contains countless minute vanilla beans. From here, different forms of vanilla are then made.

The first and original form of vanilla is the Vanilla bean or Vanilla Pods. It is the actual fruit of the vanilla flower. It is contained in a pod which is approximately 8-12 inches long, depending on the variety if vanilla bean (Bourbon vanilla is the longest). The vanilla bean or pod is dark and slender. The pods can be used even without its seeds. It can either e cooked or just suffused in a hot liquid and offers a rich flavor to any vanilla recipes there are.

The second form of vanilla is Vanilla Seed. The minute seeds of the vanilla contain most of the vanillin. They are also dark, almost close to black in color. The seeds of the vanilla pods are mostly used I recipes like Crem Brule and Custard Cakes.

Vanilla can also be in the form of Extracts. Vanilla extracts are actually made from the vanilla seeds that were marinated in water and alcohol for a long period of time. Vanilla extracts are useful in vanilla recipes that require a strong vanilla essence. What’s good about the extracts is that it is able to produce a rich flavor and essence by just a small amount of it. When in a bottle container, the vanilla extracts should come with a vanilla bean or pod in it, for the purpose of continued maturation process while it is stored just like in any scotch or whiskey. Since it is a product of maceration of vanilla seeds in an ethyl alcohol, the vanilla extract have a minimum alcohol proof of at least 40%.

Vanilla can also come in the form of a Paste. A Vanilla paste is formed by grounding the seed and adding sugar syrup into it. The vanilla paste is ideal in making ice cream. There is also the Vanilla Powder. The vanilla powder is an all-natural grounded vanilla seeds, without added sugars. The powder is ideal in most pastries as it gives a rich rounded aromatic taste.

Another form of vanilla is the Vanilla Sugar. This is made by adding a vanilla bean into a sugar and stored in several weeks. The vanilla sugar is ideal for decoration and toppings.

If ever you are entertaining the thought of cooking or making any vanilla recipes see to it that when you buy vanilla beans or vanilla, you get the right form that’s ideal for your cooking.

Vanilla is a commonly used spice and nowadays it is being cultivated, manufactured and exported by different companies from different parts of the world. However, not all exporters deliver the same variety of vanilla. The quality of the vanilla beans and/or vanilla products that come from other countries are not the same. They’d usually differ in taste and aroma. So which part of the world can the finest vanilla be found?

The finest vanilla in the world can be found in the tropical island of Madagascar. Known as Bourbon Vanilla, the Madagascar vanilla beans has made its mark as the best tasting and premium quality vanilla in the world. Compared to other vanillas, the Bourbon vanilla beans are slender and can reach the length of approximately 8 to 12 inches. This variety of vanilla bean is known for its strong sweet smelling aroma. Though they are slender, the Bourbon vanillas are thick and contain a profusion of minute seeds that are abundant with vanillin. According to the UN Food and Drug Administration survey in 2006, Madagascar ranked first place in the top producers of vanilla, providing more than half of the vanilla consumers all over the world and still continues to be on top of the list.

Indonesia is the second largest producer of vanilla that’s naturally preserved. The Indonesian vanilla when cured and processed the ‘Madagascar way’ could almost be like the Bourbon vanilla. Though less creamy compared to the vanilla coming from Madagascar, the dramatic increase in the quality of the Indonesian vanilla through the years has made it closely similar to the Bourbon. Before, the cultivation of vanilla was only confined in the some parts of Indonesia – Bali and South Java. It was only in 2004 that vanilla cultures have spread to other parts of the country.

Mexico was once known to be the leading and original producer of Bourbon vanilla. Their vanilla products are rich and creamy and somewhat spicy in flavor. This variety of vanilla is best when mixed with recipes that do not require heating. Mexican vanilla bean extract is sometimes added with the extracts of the tonka beans that’s been banned by the US Food and Drug Administration because it contains a substance called coumarin that is known to cause kidney and liver damage.

Another variety of vanilla is the Tahitian Vanilla. Compared to Madagascar vanilla, the pods of the Tahiti vanilla are smaller, more plump and moist, and it contains less vanillin. It has a fruity flavor and a flowery aroma and contains more oils. Vanillons is another type of vanilla nurtured in Guadeloupe. Although low in vanillin content, its vanilla beans possess the same floral characteristics of the Tahitian vanilla making it more useful in perfumery. There are also other vanilla varieties somewhat similar to bourbon that are grown and cultivated in some parts of South America and West India however, there’s only a diminutive production of quality vanilla coming from these places, and most are of poor quality.

Depending on your culinary or perfume needs, when you buy vanilla or vanilla pods, choose only the best quality. Remember that vanilla is a very expensive commodity. See to it that you get what you pay and that it’s worth the price.