This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
There is vanilla and vanilla
The vanilla is a delicious taste that can be found in many many dessert recipes, creams (the cream and the cream for example), ice creams, but also cakes and entremets.
Whenever you need to add this vanilla note, you have several possible choices because vanilla is commercially available in different forms, and also price...
Whenever you need to add this vanilla note, you have several possible choices because vanilla is commercially available in different forms, and also price...
10 K 5/5 (14 reviews)
Last modified on: December 14th 2017
There is vanilla and vanilla
We could try to make a mini-inventory of the possibilities, and of the associated quality, but to make it simple, there are 2 forms of vanilla: the pods, and the rest.
And the vanilla bean is the best: you are sure of what you are handling, it is impossible to make fake vanilla beans (well... for the moment). A vanilla bean is the fruit of the vanilla tree that has been dried and prepared. It doesn't smell much like vanilla, because its secret is inside, the little black, pasty beans that are the value of vanilla. To use a pod, you split it in 2 lengthwise and scrape out, with the back of a knife, the small black grains it contains and add them to your preparation.
It's the presence of those little black seeds that are your assurance that you're dealing with something that actually contains real vanilla.
There are different varieties of vanilla beans, depending on their origin, Indian Ocean, Tahiti, South America, ... they are more or less expensive, and less strong in taste. Personally, I have a weakness for the vanilla known as "Bourbon" from the island of Reunion. If you have to buy some, know that it is not cheap, but that it is normal (quality you know...), and that you have to take them quite soft, a little fat to the touch, it is a sign of freshness, because they dry with time.
Only after that comes anything made from pods: powder, paste, extract, purée, etc. For all these, no secret, you have to read the label very carefully so as not to find yourself, as I did, with a "liquid vanilla extract" which in fact contains 99% water and 1% vanilla sugar syrup.
And finally, at the very bottom of the scale, the very cheap vanillin, which is not vanilla, but a pure synthetic product that just gives a standardised vanilla taste.
The picture would not be complete without mentioning vanilla sugar, these small sachets are widely used, many recipes no longer indicate a weight, but just "add 1 sachet of vanilla sugar", and it should be understood "10 grams".
It is rather a good product (be careful to read the label anyway, there is not always only sugar and vanilla in it, and especially beware of very cheap packets, and right next to it, of "vanillinized sugar"), but that you can very advantageously prepare yourself at home.
By the way, run away from all the pseudo recipes that tell you that sticking a vanilla bean in a jar of sugar will give you vanilla sugar, it's a big lie because the bean is quite airtight.
As you can see, there is vanilla and there is vanilla, and you always have to be careful about what you use, as soon as you do a little baking.
Note that whenever possible, you should give the taste of the vanilla beans time to express itself, i.e. don't cook immediately, but let it rest. If you are making an ice cream, a flan, or a vanilla cream for example, it will be better with a more pronounced taste, if you make your preparation the day before, and let it rest overnight in the fridge in a closed container.
To sum up: Whenever you need to put vanilla in a recipe, prefer a whole pod, and let it rest if possible. If you want vanilla sugar, feel free to make it yourself, it'll be very good, much cheaper, and you'll be able to say "I made it!" (which is, of course, priceless).
And the vanilla bean is the best: you are sure of what you are handling, it is impossible to make fake vanilla beans (well... for the moment). A vanilla bean is the fruit of the vanilla tree that has been dried and prepared. It doesn't smell much like vanilla, because its secret is inside, the little black, pasty beans that are the value of vanilla. To use a pod, you split it in 2 lengthwise and scrape out, with the back of a knife, the small black grains it contains and add them to your preparation.
It's the presence of those little black seeds that are your assurance that you're dealing with something that actually contains real vanilla.
There are different varieties of vanilla beans, depending on their origin, Indian Ocean, Tahiti, South America, ... they are more or less expensive, and less strong in taste. Personally, I have a weakness for the vanilla known as "Bourbon" from the island of Reunion. If you have to buy some, know that it is not cheap, but that it is normal (quality you know...), and that you have to take them quite soft, a little fat to the touch, it is a sign of freshness, because they dry with time.
Only after that comes anything made from pods: powder, paste, extract, purée, etc. For all these, no secret, you have to read the label very carefully so as not to find yourself, as I did, with a "liquid vanilla extract" which in fact contains 99% water and 1% vanilla sugar syrup.
And finally, at the very bottom of the scale, the very cheap vanillin, which is not vanilla, but a pure synthetic product that just gives a standardised vanilla taste.
The picture would not be complete without mentioning vanilla sugar, these small sachets are widely used, many recipes no longer indicate a weight, but just "add 1 sachet of vanilla sugar", and it should be understood "10 grams".
It is rather a good product (be careful to read the label anyway, there is not always only sugar and vanilla in it, and especially beware of very cheap packets, and right next to it, of "vanillinized sugar"), but that you can very advantageously prepare yourself at home.
By the way, run away from all the pseudo recipes that tell you that sticking a vanilla bean in a jar of sugar will give you vanilla sugar, it's a big lie because the bean is quite airtight.
As you can see, there is vanilla and there is vanilla, and you always have to be careful about what you use, as soon as you do a little baking.
Note that whenever possible, you should give the taste of the vanilla beans time to express itself, i.e. don't cook immediately, but let it rest. If you are making an ice cream, a flan, or a vanilla cream for example, it will be better with a more pronounced taste, if you make your preparation the day before, and let it rest overnight in the fridge in a closed container.
To sum up: Whenever you need to put vanilla in a recipe, prefer a whole pod, and let it rest if possible. If you want vanilla sugar, feel free to make it yourself, it'll be very good, much cheaper, and you'll be able to say "I made it!" (which is, of course, priceless).
Lasts posts
Add a bay leaf
Bay leaf: small in size, but big in flavor. You'll find it in hundreds of recipes, and it's often added to cooking meat, in a sauce or broth, usually accompanied by other herbs or products. It's a staple of Provençal, Mediterranean and Oriental cuisine, but not the only one. Usually, in a...July 31th 20257425
Parsley stems
Parsley, whether curly or flat, is a delicious ingredient in many recipes, where it is used both raw and cooked. When used raw, in a salad for example, where it always provides, alone or with other herbs, a remarkable freshness, only the leaves are kept. And when used cooked?July 28th 2025890 13
A drizzle of olive oil
Often in a recipe, you have to "baste" vegetables, for example, before sending them to the oven. What the author means by this is that you need to put oil on top of the vegetables to cook them in the oven. Typically, we just quickly drizzle oil over the vegetables, hoping not to miss any, but...July 13th 20251,2225
Always secure your cutting board
When using a cutting board, it's very important that it's stable and doesn't move while you're cutting, for safety's sake. Boards have a natural tendency to slide on the work surface, but here are 2 ways to block them effectively.July 1st 20251,2565
Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?
When it comes to cherry clafoutis recipes, there's often a camp of those who argue that you absolutely have to leave the stones in because it tastes better, and the other camp (myself included) who prefer cherries without stones, which makes a much more pleasant clafoutis to eat. But is it true...June 29th 20251,1135
Other pages you may also like
From website to blog
Hello everyone, Today I'm inaugurating the cooking-ez.com "blog". The idea is to have a space for discussion open to everone, but not necessarily linked to a particular recipe or page. I hope the posts will be sufficiently interesting that you'll enjoy reading and discussing them. The...January 1st 201118 K3.9
Butter doesn't make you fat, unless you eat too much of it.
Whenever I'm discussing cooking and recipes, there is one idea which comes up frequently, like this: "Oh no! But that's got butter in it" (I should add, for the sake of accuracy, that this is something I hear more frequently from women, who are almost all concerned with keeping their figure). ...March 26th 201241 K4.5
The painter, the restaurant owners and the opera singer
You might well have noticed that there are recipes involving names that have been so overused (often for any old thing) that they have almost become common nouns.September 25th 201218 K4.4
Fruits which can ruin your jelly
There are many ways of making a fruit mousse, but one of the simplest is to prepare a fruit jelly (basically a fresh fruit coulis with gelatine) and then mix this jelly before it sets completely with whipped cream. The result is perfect for filling a charlotte, for example. But do beware;...March 6th 201375 K4.0
The 3 kinds of meringue
Meringue – what could be simpler? Just beaten egg whites with sugar added. This makes a fairly stiff mixture which can then be cooked in a cool oven to create those lovely, light confections. But in the world of professional patisserie, meringue comes in three different kinds. Even if the...June 14th 201361 K4.5
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.