![]() Tahitian Vanilla ( Vanilla tahitensis) is a natural hybrid between two vanilla species: Vanilla planifolia, better known as bourbon vanilla, and Vanilla odorata, a very rare vanilla found in the forests of Belize and Guatemala. In the Pacific Ocean, there is an island in Tahiti that is referred to as “Vanilla Island.” It got its name because 80 percent of the country’s vanilla is produced there. (Again, not unlike wine, which is so heavily influenced by terroir.) “We use the vanilla originally from Mexico, because it has a peculiar flavor and smell that is the type of land where it is planted,” he says, explaining that both the particular taste and aromas are distinct to the Mexican vanilla. He also notes that it is more subtle and delicate on the palate than other types of the flower. Mexican vanilla, says Mustiere, is thinner, as opposed to Tahitian vanilla, which is thicker. According to Mustiere, you can pick up all of these notes: “metallic, astringent, smoked, pungent, toasted, gritty, spiciness of tuberose, sweet, clove, black pepper, cinnamon, raisin, wood, wet earth, dry chili, cocoa, tamarind, sesame, and mold.” (So not dissimilar to tasting good wine.)Īnd while it may not be as easy to pick out Mexican vanilla with an untrained palate, there is a way to tell it apart from other vanillas by just looking at it. This process seals in the complex flavor and aroma of the vanilla. “After 20 days of drying, the vanilla pods are placed in wooden boxes and covered with palm rugs, to ripen them to finally place them in vacuum packaging, and thus preserve their notes and their flavor,” he says, adding that the vanilla is usually aged for two to three months. The pod, he says, is then allowed to dry for 20 days, then undergoes a fermentation process. Mustiere explains that the vanilla is harvested after the flower dies, usually around nine months, and then the green pod is cut from the plant. We found out straight from the experts what makes each of these three types of vanilla the same, or different, from the next in hopes that you won’t ever have to put baking a cake on hold to debate this ingredient choice ever again.Īccording to Michel Mustiere, Culinary Director of Velas Resorts, with multiple locations throughout Mexico, Mexican vanilla is cultivated in Veracruz, Mexico, and is the product of an orchid that gives birth to the vanilla flower after pollination. Also worth a look: Mexican vanilla, as it’s made from the very same plant as bourbon vanilla, and Mexico is, in fact, the birthplace of vanilla. There are over 150 types of vanilla in the world, including Indian vanilla, Tonga vanilla, and Ugandan vanilla-but the two most prevalent types found in most stores are Madagascar or bourbon vanilla, and Tahitian vanilla. With different price points and packaging, they all seem pretty exotic, but which one will be the best for what you’re making?Īnd, since vanilla is the second-most expensive ingredient in the world (second only to saffron), how will you make sure you’re buying the one that will offer you the most options? ![]() You just wanted to make a cake and now you’re standing in front of a row of different types of vanillas, unsure of which one to choose.
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