Over the past few decades, vanilla has become one of the most popular flavors on the planet. This rise in popularity has been across dozens of different countries and has even spread across a variety of continents. Because of that, it’s been used in a variety of different things, such as scented candles, different strengths of food flavoring and even sugar-free vanilla syrup. In contrast to many other things that have become so popular, however, very few people know much about it.
Whether it’s as an extract in a chocolate chip cookie recipe or scraped vanilla beans for custard or ice cream, it’s used in countless different recipes. Furthermore, there are a few dozen different types of ingredients which can provide even more uses for it. Despite the wide range of uses we have for vanilla, we’ve often taken it for granted and don’t pay much attention to it, aside from how much to add to a dish.
In many cases, all many people will know about vanilla is that it can be used as a flavoring or a pleasing scent in candles. Because of this, there are a variety of things that people don’t know about it, such as its origins. Furthermore, while we all know that it can be used in food, there may be a few different recipes that you may not know it can be used in. With that in mind, it’s worth taking a look at the origins of vanilla.
Origins Of Vanilla
What many people may not know is that vanilla comes from an orchid, and has its roots in a few specific countries. Originally, the vanilla orchid was native to Mesoamerica, or what’s now know as modern-day Mexico and Guatemala. However, the orchid is now grown in some countries around the world, which has led to a few different breeds of orchid. This also means that there can be vanillas with slightly different tastes and varying degrees of strength. Despite this, however, the most widely known of the ingredient is vanilla planifolia or flat-leaved vanilla. This is because it’s the only form of vanilla that’s used in mass-scale food production around the world.
With that in mind, this is the taste that the majority of people would be aware of. Having said that, there are a variety of other different breeds of the orchid are used in the likes of scented candles and more. Vanilla is normally taken from the pods of these orchids, which contain thousands of black seeds. This is where the ingredient gets its taste from. With that in mind, they can often be quite expensive, as they offer a potent vanilla taste and can often be responsible for some of the texture of food when it’s baking or cooking. This is in contrast to vanilla extract, which is typically made from macerating vanilla beans and mixing them with water and alcohol.
Even though vanilla is grown in a variety of countries around the world, most vanilla extract is made from vanilla plants that have been grown in Madagascar and Réunion. According to some reports, two-thirds of the vanilla extract on the market has been made from plants coming from these islands. Outside of these two countries, the majority of the rest of this supply is split between Mexico and Tahiti, as well as a few other minor regions.
Vanilla Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Latte
Everyone loves a great tasting latte, especially if it comes with lower sugar than other drinks. This is where this Cinnamon Roll Latte comes in, as it uses a variety of ingredients that are low in sugar; chief among these is Monin’s sugar-free vanilla syrup. What you’ll need is 20mls of this syrup, plus 20mls of cinnamon syrup, two shots of espresso and fill steamed milk. On top of this, you can garnish with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick.
To put together, simply combine all of the ingredients except the milk in the serving glass. Then steam your milk before adding slowly and gently into the glass. After this, you’ll simply need to garnish to your liking. You can also try this with a variety of other garnishes instead of cinnamon, as there can be a variety of others that can work great. Simply follow the same steps as above with garnishes replacement. Of course, there are a variety of different recipes to choose from.
