The Beauty of Vanilla Spice

Ah, vanilla! It’s delectable, delightful, and full of rich aroma that takes me back to my earlier days. I have very fond memories of my mother baking in the kitchen, and to this day certain smells will take me back to my childhood in the blink of an eye.

Of all of the delicious aromas and smells from my youth, none is more enticing than vanilla. Yes, I must say that vanilla has stolen my heart. I love vanilla so much that I always, (not just sometimes) ‘add extra‘ vanilla to whatever I am baking. That is just between you and me, by the way.

Did you know that vanilla dates back to the 15th century, and is the second most labor intensive crop in the world? -Amazing. Vanilla means ‘little pod’ in Spanish. As far as spices and expense go; vanilla is pretty pricey. It is the second most expensive spice after saffron.

Today we have over 150 different varieties of the vanilla orchid plant, which gives us some fun choices when purchasing vanilla. You can find everything from whole vanilla beans, vanilla extract, gourmet vanilla‘s as well as organic versions. So many choices! So little time!

Lately, I have been using vanilla beans when I cook and bake, and I must say that I absolutely love it! It takes a little more work to slice the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds, but the flavor is worth it.

I found some Rodelle vanilla beans at Costco. You can use the vanilla pod for your recipes as well, however, I like to take the pod when I am done scraping out the numerous seeds and put it in my sugar container.