Meet your ingredients: Vanilla (part 1)

The name "vanilla" is often used to describe anything that is plain, generic or not particularly interesting. What a tragic misnomer. Vanilla is a scarce and fragrant spice, originating from tropical forests and exotic flowers. Only saffron is more expensive than vanilla.

The flavouring which we know as vanilla is made from the fruit of a rare orchid, the only fruit-bearing orchid among hundreds of species.[1]

The Vanilla orchid originates from South and Central America (like the other good stuff, chocolate), and seems to have first been cultivated by the Totonacs of Mexico’s east coast. From there it spread to a few other countries with amenable climates. Indonesia and Madagascar currently being the main producers. [2].

The terms Madagascar vanilla, Madagascan vanilla, Madagascan-Bourbon and Bourbon vanilla all refer to the same thing. Bourbon, in this case, not having anything to do with an alcoholic drink, but referring to the historical name, Île Bourbon, from the time when the Bourbon Islands were governed by Bourbon (French) kings. The Bourbon Islands consists of Réunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros and Seychelles. Thus, when the name Bourbon is used in the context of vanilla, it is the region that is referred to and not the alcoholic drink by the same name. [3].

These orchid flowers open only once a year for a few hours [6], and are then dependent on a specific bee, which is only found in Mexico, for pollination. In all other areas of the world the flowers must be pollinated by hand to produce a crop of beans. The beans have to be prepared before they can be used or further processed. This initial step is called curing. The green beans are soaked in hot water briefly, and then stored in sweat boxes. After curing they are stored in the sun and packed away at night. The specific processes followed by certain regions contribute to the taste of the final product [3]. After this lengthy process the vanilla beans are ready for the market or for preparation of vanilla extract. The extract is made by macerating chopped vanilla beans with ethyl alcohol and water in steel containers and then steeping the mix.[4].

It is clear that what makes vanilla the second most expensive spice in the world, (second only to Saffron) is the time-consuming and laborious production process and the fact that it can only be grown in a few specific locations in the world. It is simply not possible to produce sufficient vanilla for the ever-increasing demand. [5]. This is where a synthetically produced alternative comes into its own. Let us not have to live without our vanilla ice cream!

What we experience as the taste of vanilla is actually a natural blend of hundreds of different flavour and fragrance components. The most prominent chemical component to which the instantly recognised aroma is attributed, is vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde). While the complexity of vanilla means that true vanilla cannot be exactly reproduced, vanillin is quite easily synthesised. 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde can be produced from petrochemicals, lignin (a wood-pulp by-product) and also from eugenol, derived from clove oil. Synbio vanillin, made by implanting DNA into yeast is looking promising for the future. Keep in mind that synthetically made 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde is still just that. It is as safe to use as when it is as part of the vanilla pod. All of this though, can only produce vanillin, and not vanilla in all its glory as produced from the vanilla bean! [2] While vanilla is understandably costly to produce, it is extremely inexpensive to produce synthetic vanillin.

The question can then be raised whether there is much of a noticeable difference between vanilla and vanillin in the end result when used in baking and other desserts. Kenji López-Alt from the Food Lab addressed this issue with an experiment where he tested the vanilla/vanillin experience with a variety of baked and cold desserts. The results were surprising. Once the cookies or cake goes into the oven much of the distinguishing characteristics of real vanilla are lost. In cold dishes, not using a boiled base like some ice-creams, real vanilla extract outshone the synthetic vanillin by far. [5]

The practical conclusion here would then be: synthetic flavouring for the cake, but use real vanilla for the icing and fillings (if they do not involve heat).