Vanilla
Vanilla planifolia · Spice
Top 10 pairings
Vanilla's sweet, warm, floral scent comes mostly from vanillin in a long, slender black pod, an orchid's cured fruit. It perfumes ice cream, custards, pastry and chocolate, and only saffron is a costlier spice.
Picking a good onedrag
Plump, supple, intensely aromaticDry, hollow, smells of nothing
Even and suppleEveryday bestIt still scrapes well. Top Bourbon pods hold 2.0-3.4% vanillin, many others nearer 1-2%.
Scratch and smellScratch it: sweet, warm, woody
Bend the podBends without cracking, but drier
Look at the skinEven dark brown, still glistening
Pod or powderPowder, alcohol-free, heat-stable