2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Thanks to its gentle, refreshing aroma, vanilla is considered for one of the finest and most pleasant spices. Particularly suitable vanilla as a spice is used in the confectionery industry, and its aroma is extremely suitable for vanilla cream, vanilla ice cream, various biscuits, candies, etc. Vanilla gives a special and refined taste to various liqueurs and cigarillos. The noble aroma of the vanilla plant comes from the orchid family and is the only plant of them that is used in cooking.
Vanilla is a tropical creeping orchid, with a green, long, fleshy stem that has many branches, clinging to the stem of the tree like other parasitic plants. The flowers are yellow to orange and grow in clusters. It blooms one flower a day. The flowering period is two months.
History of vanilla
Vanilla from ancient times gathered laurels and popularity, being best known for being a sexual stimulant.
The Aztecs used vanilla to make their royal drink xocolatl - a mixture of cocoa beans, vanilla and honey, considered a powerful aphrodisiac. The name vanilla itself comes from the Spanish word vainilla, which means vagina or pod. The homeland of vanilla is considered to be Mexico, Panama and the Antilles. It became famous in Europe only in the 16th century, after the conquistador Hernan Cortes entered the Aztec capital with a small detachment.
Emperor Montezuma offered the white man, as a sign of peace and good intentions, their ritual drink, made of chocolate seasoned with vanilla. Europeans then transported vanilla to other tropical areas, but unfortunately failed to produce fruit anywhere.
Finally, in 1836, the Belgian botanist Charles Morren discovered that vanilla flowers were not pollinated, but required human intervention. In 1841, on the French island of Réunion, Edmond Albius perfected a method of artificial insemination that is still used today. The manual pollination of vanilla and additional manual processing and fermentation determine the high cost of the spice. Vanilla begins to bear fruit in the third year after planting and for 35-40 years.
The first to think of adding vanilla to their dishes were the cooks at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Growing vanilla
In essence, vanilla is a perennial vine. It clings to the branches of trees, wraps them around and grows, rising up to their crown. Vanilla has large white or greenish hues. It blooms only once a year and is pollinated by small insects of the genus Melipona and a certain species of hummingbird that live only in Mexico. It is because of them that Mexico's monopoly on vanilla cultivation has long been unshakable. Today vanilla is grown on the island of Madagascar, in the Caribbean and in Sri Lanka. Pollination is artificial.
Vanilla fruits are considered usable. Its pods are 15-25 cm long and 4-8 cm wide. It is important to tear off immature ones so that they do not dissolve. The technology requires the vanilla flowers to be soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, after which they are wrapped in woolen blankets at a temperature of about 60 °. Finally vanilla fruit dried in the sun 1.5 - 2 months. A curious fact is that to buy a shirt that costs $ 7.5, a person in Madagascar has to produce 10 kg of vanilla.
As a final product, vanilla is usually used in powder or ground or mixed with sugar in a ratio of 1 pod per 0.5 kg of sugar. The chemical composition in the fruits of vanilla contains about 3% vanilloside, which during fermentation decomposes into vanillin and vanilla, piperonal and a certain amount of aromatic substances in very small quantities - anise essential oil, cinnamon oil, aggregates.
Selection and storage of vanilla
As with most other spices, vanilla is subject to the rule that it should be used as fresh as possible. This means that it is good to bet on the fragrant vanilla pod, and not on vanilla powder or in the form of essence. Exactly vanilla pod is the best option we can put in our desserts. When choosing it, it is usually packaged, but still try to feel it (even through the package) by pressing lightly. The quality pod should be thicker, not dry.
Vanilla is stored at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. When opening a package of vanilla pods, the rest should be carefully closed and the air should be expelled as much as possible. Thus, the qualities of the pods will be preserved for a longer time.
Vanilla powder and the essences are also stored in a dry and cool place, away from moisture and direct sunlight.
Applications of vanilla
The artificial substitute for vanilla is called vanillin. It is less fragrant because natural vanilla contains a number of other natural aromatic components in addition to vanillin. Vanilla essence is obtained by filtration through alcohol and water of crushed beans, similar to coffee production. Vanilla essence is very strong. It is used in the preparation of desserts, creams, ice cream. If you add a little vanilla to powdered sugar, you will get a very fragrant powdered sugar suitable for various cakes and pastries.
Vanilla has a great application outside of cooking, as a raw material in the production of perfumes. Europeans prefer to use beans, while in North America the essence is more valued. It is best to store vanilla in an airtight container. Storage tricks show that they last the longest and remain complete by being buried in sugar. Thus flavored sugar can be used after 2-3 weeks to spice up coffee or tea.
Enhance the taste of fresh milk with vanilla on the tip of a knife. Add a little vanilla to black tea and it will acquire a very interesting aroma and taste.
Benefits of vanilla
Many people, especially women, are accustomed to the idea that stress is relieved with the help of something sweet and eat something sweet every time they are nervous. The aroma of vanilla evokes a joyful feeling and creates a feeling of satiety. Vanilla is very useful for women as it helps relieve symptoms during a cycle. The main benefit of vanilla is its calming effect. It is able to improve mood and raise the tone.
The sweet aroma of vanilla creates a relaxing effect, removes nervous tension, suppresses negative thoughts, awakens creativity, intuition and optimism. Aromatic acid, which is a major component of vanilla essential oil, has a beneficial effect on the skin. Vanilla extract can be used instead of essential oil for muscle pain and tension. Vanilla extract improves digestion, suppresses pain, relaxes, reduces inflammation and protects against infections.
If you have had a bad day and you have an important meeting in the evening, use it vanilla flavored oil and everything will be fine. A scented lamp with a few drops of vanilla, or a vanilla candle, will soothe even naughty children.
In the 18th century, vanilla gained popularity as a powerful aphrodisiac. The bath with vanilla oil awakens sensuality and is an ideal way to remind your loved one that romance should not be forgotten because of everyday life. Mix half a tea cup of liquid cream with a drop of rose oil and three drops of vanilla. Pour the mixture into the bath and mix well.
Harm from vanilla
In general, vanilla is a harmless spice, but it still has some potential side effects. It should not be used in large quantities during pregnancy and allergies.
In large doses, vanilla can have an irritating effect on the skin. It can even cause photosensitization - increasing the sensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet rays. This means that during the summer months the skin should not be smeared with vanilla oil or natural oils with a high vanilla content.
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One of the most famous and fragrant spices is vanilla. It is usually associated with pastries, ice creams and cakes because of the sweet and warm aroma they carry. In fact, the exotic plant has another, no less important application. Vanilla fruit is valuable vanilla essential oil , which finds a place in medicine, cosmetics, aromatherapy and others.
Vanilla In Cooking
Vanilla is added to various desserts. Alcoholic drinks with vanilla are also made. If you add vanilla to powdered sugar, you get a very tender and fragrant powdered sugar. With it you will refresh and decorate different types of cakes and cupcakes.
Why Do We Like The Aroma Of Vanilla?
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The ice cream is among Europeans' favorite summer desserts, but a new study by the British daily The Guardian found that in leading brands vanilla ice cream no real products are used. A new British study shows that much of the vanilla ice cream on the market lacks the main ingredients for its production, namely vanilla, cream and milk, which have been replaced by their cheaper alternatives.
