WHICH VANILLA SPECIES FOR WHICH RECIPES ?
The vanilla species offer a wide spectrum of aromas and flavours and can be creatively utilized to elevate your culinary creations, from sweet indulgences to savory delights and everything in between. Remember that personal preference plays a significant role, so feel free to experiment with different vanilla species and varieties to find the flavours that best suit your palate and the specific dishes you're preparing.
SWEET RECIPES:
Vanilla Planifolia Bourbon from Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius, Mayotte and Comores, also from Africa (Sao Tome e Principe, Tanzania, Congo and Uganda), Caribbean, Indonesian (Sulawesi, Flores): Renowned for their versatility, these varieties are perfect for sweet recipes such as cakes, cookies, custards, and ice cream. Vanilla Tahitensis from Tahaa and Raiatea: Known for its floral and fruity aroma, Tahitian vanilla enhances sweet dishes, especially those with fruits or tropical flavors.
Bahiana Vanilla: Ideal for buttery, creamy, milk-based preparations, and cheese desserts.
SALTY RECIPES:
Vanilla Pompona from Peru, Mexico, and New Caledonia and Vanilla Planifolia from Sao Tome e Principe, Tanzania, Congo and Uganda: Its robust flavor profile makes them suitable for savory dishes like sauces, marinades, and glazes for meats (lamb, mutton, game meat) and seafood. Vanilla Costaricensis from Costa Rica: Offers a unique flavour that complements savory dishes, particularly meats, fish, and sauces. Indonesian Vanilla Planifolia from Java and Sumatra: Adds depth to both salty and sweet recipes, offering a balance of sweet and savory notes.
FISH, SEAFOOD, MEATS:
Caribbean (Guadeloupe, Dominica) and African (Sao Tome e Principe, Tanzania, Congo and Uganda) Planifolia Vanilla: Ideal for enhancing the flavor of fish, seafood, and meats such as cabrito (goat) and pork, whether used in marinades, sauces, or as a seasoning. Vanilla Pompona and Costaricensis: Both varieties are excellent choices for enhancing the flavor of fish dishes, whether used in sauces, marinades, or directly with the fish. Vanilla Tahitensis Tahiti and Haapape: Particularly suitable for raw fish preparations, thanks to its floral and fruity notes.
ALCOHOL PREPARATIONS:
Caribbean Planifolia and Pompona as well as Indonesian and Bourbon Vanilla Planifolia: Their rich and aromatic flavour complements alcohol preparations such as rum arrangements, adding depth and complexity.
GENERAL USE:
Vanilla Cribbiana: Known for its versatility, suitable for a wide range of sweet and savory dishes.
Vanilla Planifolia Bourbon and Tsy Taitra: Offers a classic vanilla flavour, ideal for various sweet recipes including desserts and baked goods.
Vanilla Tahitensis Tahiti and Haapape: A classic, elegant, powerful and versatile.
VANILLIN CRYSTALS?
Vanillin crystals are the natural end expression of the benzenoid crystal that matures inside the pod. Within properly cured vanilla pods vanillin functions as an important conservative, and its content should be high enough before curing and refining in order to stimulate natural immune resistance to mold and create delicious dark fragrant vanilla smell and flavours. Vanillin crystals are a natural concentrate and a sign of excellent quality of the vanilla pods. You can recognise them as they shine in the light and look like white spines or literally shiny sharp glass-like tiny “diamonds” of vanilla, such as the THC residue on excellent marijuana plants. When vanilla pods have this high vanillin content they can be kept for years under excellent storage condition, in glass tubes or glass jars well protected from light and heat. Crystallised Vanilla pods also have an amazing and powerful smell and tend to look more dry out over time so the smell and flavor packs into the plant matter, but does not diffuse aromatically through the air without interaction or extraction. The flavor literally soaks deep into the skin and seeds and retains inside the pod, for as long as stored properly.
Likewise sugar crystals on fruit jellies, what about natural vanillin crystals instead? those vanillin crystals are little gems that can be scraped and reserved aside, while adding last into your recipe, the vanilla seeds and its epicarp well chopped, and for the final touch or on the plate dressing, the vanillin crystals on top or all around to add elegance and an explosive touch of vanilla on the palate.