Types of Vanilla

Saturday, June 03, 2006

When we eat ice creams we already know there's two types of Vanilla to pick from, French Vanilla and just Vanilla...Ever asked yourself, what IS the difference between French vanilla and vanilla anyways. Well in Ice cream French vanilla simply refers to the French style of making ice cream custard base with vanilla beans, cream, and egg yolks. So its much richer and have a stronger vanilla aroma then regular vanilla ice cream.

As for the types of Vanilla there is a few popular ones, they are; "Totonac Vanilla", "Bourbon Vanilla", and "French Polynesian"

Some connoisseurs regards the Totonac Vanilla as the best. You can find these in gourmet food stores as "Mexican vanilla", Mexican vanilla beans have a rich flavor but are scarcer than Bourbon-Madagascar beans. But purchasing these types are risky and must be careful because Mexico also produce low-quality vanilla that sometimes shares the same label. And Some Mexican vanilla products contain coumarin, coumarin is often found in tobacco products and artificial vanilla substitutes, it is banned by the FDA because it can be a potentially toxic substance that can damage the liver and kidneys. There's no way for you to tell which Mexican vanilla products contain this, so buy from a reliable source.

Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla is a name used when vanilla is coming from the West Indian island Reunion, Comoros and Madagascar. This Vanilla is also considers a good quality Vanilla and many food critics argue that these are the best vanilla. They're rich and sweet and they'r the thinnest type.

French Polynesian also known as Tahitian vanilla beans are the thickest and darkest of the three types. They are intensely aromatic, though not as flavorful.It is produced on the island of Tahaa. Most people use them to flavor drinks or use them for essential oils or aromatherapy oils.

When you buy vanilla, make sure you read the labels on where the vanilla comes from to prevent buying fake products. Becarful as many vanilla claims to have come from a certain place but could merely be just a name.

**copied from my old blog gourmetcuisine.blogspot.com