Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) is so flavorful and fragrant that it's hard to imagine dessert without it. And in its native Mexico, it was so valuable that the Totonac Indians (the first to cultivate it) thought that it sprang from the blood of a princess, who was captured and slain when she fled with her lover. When the Totonac were conquered by the Aztecs, they were required to pay taxes and tributes with vanilla beans. It's fair to say that vanilla was literally worth its weight in silver.
The Spanish first became acquainted with vanilla as an ingredient in the bitter Aztec aphrodisiac drink, xocolatl, which was brewed with cacao beans and chile peppers. The tropical plant, a member of the orchid family could only be cultivated in Mexico, for the tubular flowers could be pollinated only by a tiny bee and a humming bird. In 1836, a 12-year-old African slave in Madagascar figured out how to hand-pollinate the blossoms with a bamboo splinter, a method that is still used today.
Vanilla is widely grown throughout the tropics, but it is still highly valuable. Some two thousand tons are produced each year, but that is still not enough to satisfy people's desire for it, and many have to be satisfied with synthetic vanillin. For more about the culinary uses of real vanilla, go here.
You can make your own vanilla extract, using vanilla beans. Here's a recipe from China Bayles. (Thanks to Susan Wittig Albert)
China's Favorite Vanilla Extract
Using a funnel, pour 1 cup brandy or rum into a small-diameter bottle. Split 2-3 vanilla beans lengthwise, then cut the split pieces into halves, retaining the aromatic seeds. Drop pieces and seeds into the bottle and cap it tightly. Set on a dark shelf for several weeks, shaking frequently (and sniffing deeply whenever possible). Use when the flavor suits you, topping off each time you remove some. Every now and then add a piece or two of split vanilla bean, to enrich the flavor.
Read more about vanilla:
* Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchid, by Tim Ecott
* Simply Vanilla: Recipes for Everyday Use, by Patty Elsberry
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