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Relishing Madagascar Vanilla's Exotic Flavor
Many people assume that vanilla beans are beans in terms of physical form. In actuality, they are not really beans per se. vanilla beans are actually the pods of delicate vanilla orchids and due to the discovery of the hand-pollination technique, the cultivation of the vanilla orchid started on the Bourbon Island - now known as Runion Island - as initiated by the French. It is also for this reason that Madagascar vanilla is often known as Bourbon vanilla.
Because the growth of the vanilla orchid largely depends on the warm, moist conditions of tropical countries, Madagascar is clearly one of the best candidates for the production of vanilla beans. In fact, the vanilla plantations situated in the northeast part of the island play a large role when it comes to the income of the island.
Of the worldwide production of vanilla beans, three-fourth of it comes from the Madagascar vanilla plantations. The pods, due to the hand-pollination technique and curing it directly under the sun, exudes that distinct and delicious aroma that only vanilla can entice you with. Because the process of planting and harvesting the vanilla beans take about six years, the people in the island of Madagascar are all too dedicated in the whole process of cultivating these vanilla beans.
In the industry of cooking whether gourmet or homefront, Madagascar vanilla is very much popular. The vanilla aficionados chose freshly cured vanilla beans most since the flavor it gives off is more intense. The flavor - buttery, mellow and smooth - has caught the attention of these aficionados and will continue to do so even worldwide.
If compared to its bottled counterparts, the Madagascar vanilla would come off as too pricey. Yet given the fact that its pod produces more aroma to the dishes, this can be easily shrugged off. One popular way of using the vanilla bean is by soaking the pod in the liquid part of the dish - a way also known as steeping.
The vanilla beans are steeped into the milk or cream before proceeding in making ice cream or crme brle. You can also steep the vanilla bean on alcoholic beverages to add more flavor to it.
When using milk or cream-based dishes, the liquid must come or near to a boil before steeping. The pot must be removed from heat after the bean pod is placed on the liquid but make sure that the pot's cover is kept shut on it. This helps the liquid absorb most of the flavor.
The length of a vanilla bean is roughly five to seven inches on average. The seeds will be about half a teaspoon. You might have noticed the dark specks on dishes with vanilla. These will be the seeds from the bean pod which are acquired by splitting the bean in half and scrapping off the tiny seeds.
Dry ingredients can also be flavored using the whole pod. By placing the pod in a cupful of sugar, you induce that delicate flavor right into the sugar. You can then use the sugar to flavor your coffee, your tea, or anything you plan to bake.
The cream of the crop is no other than Madagascar vanilla and both gourmet chefs and vanilla aficionados can attest to this. There certainly no substitute for Madagascar vanilla.
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