Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: NO MEAN BEAN – A VANILLA BEAN
Deeba @ PAB
Ah, you flavor everything; you are the vanilla of society”
Sydney Smith
When Foodbuzz invited proposals for September’s 24 24 24 I knew it was time to explore my favourite bean, and I’m thrilled they picked me. No, I’m not talking about the French bean, neither the kidney, not the haricot, unfortunately not the java bean…and NO, not even Rowan Atkinson. It was time to get to the heart of the VANILLA BEAN!
My exposure to this intriguing bean, in essence, actually knowledge of it’s very existence came via 2 of my favourite blogs – Canelle et Vanille & Tartlette. Both blogs beautifully inspirational, nurtured by ‘Pastry Chef’ bloggers who are large hearted in terms of sharing their knowledge & vast experience in the world of exotic desserts.
I got my first bean in great anticipation & couldn’t for the love of me believe this old wizened looking thing was ‘the’ bean in question. I soon got a precious tube of Madagascar vanilla beans from the States, & my sister never let me hear the end of it. Then picked up a tube of Indian vanilla beans on a visit to Chennai – 3 for the princely sum of Rs 300! A chance conversation with Ria lead to my discovery of a more affordable & better grade Indian vanilla bean. It’s a fine bean at a fine price. Where would you be able to buy a Grade A vanilla bean at 25 cents?
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My post today, as part of the Foodbuzz 24 24 24 is a ‘SALUT TO THE VANILLA BEAN’! I briefly explored the history behind the bean, and the varieties of beans available.
A bit of vanilla background…
Vanilla originated in Mexico and for ages no other country in the world has known the secret of its magnificent flavor. First taken out of the country by the Spanish conquistadors, vanilla pods were stolen and replanted in the former Bourbon Island – the actual French Reunion Island. To this day the term “Bourbon” vanilla still applies to vanilla originating from that part of the world.
Vanilla beans are grown in four main areas of the world. Each region produces vanilla beans with distinctive characteristics and attributes. Madagascar is the leading producer in the world, with a quality known among vanilla extract producers as the most distinctive and flavorful – Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla. This is due to a particularly auspicious combination of climate, geography and traditional know-how. Indonesia is the second largest producer of vanilla, with a vanilla that is woody, astringent and phenolic. Madagascar and Indonesia produce 90 percent of the world’s vanilla bean crop.
Mexico & Tahiti are the 2 other major areas of vanilla bean production. Indian vanilla bean production is in very nascent stages, but demand is slowly picking up as they begin to cure the bean the traditional way. It’s popularity is slowly increasing in the international arena.
Once I began using pure natural vanilla extract, the chemical substitute or ‘imitation vanilla essence’ became a thing of the past. I make my own vanilla sugar & pure vanilla extract. At any given time I have 3 bottles of extract on hand – 2 under construction, and 1 in use. It takes a good 4-6 weeks to get the bottle of extract ready.
Good quality vanilla beans & some vodka is all you need. Vanilla sugar is even easier. Just tuck a split and cut vanilla bean into t ajar of sugar, shut tight, give it a good shake every alternate day. By the end of the week you will have the beginnings of sweet smelling vanilla sugar at your disposal! Keep replenishing the sugar as you use it. I even grind my sugar at times, with a piece of vanilla bean and sift it to get vanilla castor sugar!
My post today is a bit lengthy, so I divided it into a couple of sections…
I’ll begin with a VANILLA conversation with Aran @ Canelle et Vanillewho was good enough to take time off her busy schedule and sweet talk vanilla with me. Thank you Aran, appreciate your having done this!
Aran, a professional pastry chef, is a Basque ex-pat living in the US. She blogs at Cannelle Et Vanille, her blank canvas for creating anything and everything sweet that comes out of her heart. Her beautiful blog reflects the smells and tastes of her childhood. She is available for recipe development, food styling and photography.Press regarding her blog includes The UK Times Online, Cravings Magazine, BBC’s Olive Magazine, Southern Weddings Magazine, Pastry & Baking Magazine, Saveur.com, Design*Sponge, RealSimple.com, Decor*8 andmany other blogs.
1. Your first thoughts when I say ‘vanilla bean’ are… Warmth, childhood, grandparents
2. Do you find vanilla beans indispensable in your kitchen as a baking ingredient? Yes, I use it in most of my recipes whether it is as a main ingredient or to enhance a recipe.
3. Do you always have vanilla beans on hand? Yes, I always buy in bulk as they are cheaper this way and store them tightly wrapped in an airtight container.
4. In a month, how many vanilla beans would you use on an average? Because they are so expensive, I really stretch the use of my beans. I might go through 10 beans a month (that I always reuse in other forms) and 4 oz of vanilla extract.
5. Do you have a favourite variety of the vanilla bean? There are many varieties now but Bourbon is still the most readily available and what I tend to use most. Tahitian has a floral note and a bit of a less sweeter aroma, which I really like. I recently tried some African varieties that were excellent as well.
6. What in your opinion is the best way to showcase the flavor of the vanilla bean? If I am using vanilla bean, I like that to be the main flavor component of the recipe. It really doesn’t need much, just a little steeping or incorporated into a cream is perfection in itself. Also, I think a tiny pinch of salt always enhances the flavor of the vanilla.
7. Have you heard of or used savoury vanilla extract or saffron vanilla extract? Yes and I actually just recently used vanilla fleur de del in a recipes in my blog (http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/2009/08/vanilla-fleur-de-sel-caramel-and.html). I have heard of saffron vanilla but have never used it myself. Will have to try that soon.
8. What is your favourite recipe using this flavourful bean? So many… but maybe because we are entering autumn season, the roasted apple and vanilla bean souffle is one of my favorites…(http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/2008/10/roasted-apple-and-vanilla-bean-souffle.html)
♥ Thank you Aran ♥
So much sweet talk and it’s time to unleash a VANILLA based DESSERT onto the post. I had mascarpone on hand, home made & fresh and was looking for a delicious vanilla based end to it. Also had figs and oranges on hand. Twitter to the rescue as usual, and help came via wonderful friend Hilda @ Saffronberry. Ever willing to help anytime, never fails to amaze, she suggested Vanilla Mascarpone Cream Hearts from a gorgeous blog – Nordljus.
So, I made these Vanilla Mascarpone Cream Hearts with an Orange & Dried Fig Compote, inspired by the beautiful dessert on Keiko’sbeautiful blog. Thank you Hilda for twittering to my rescue & for the brilliant recipe suggestion. About the dessert – it was an elegant, delectable dessert, and the compote complimented it beautifully.
Method:
Chill the bowl and blade of a food processor in the refrigerator.
To make the cream hearts, blend the mascarpone, seeds of 1 vanilla bean and vanilla castor sugar in the food processor until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula occasionally to keep the mixture evenly distributed. Add the cream and yogurt and blend briefly to incorporate.
Line 6 porcelain heart molds with a double layer of wet muslin and carefully spoon in the cream mixture until the molds are full and the surface is even. Put the moulds on a tray with a lip (to catch the whey – important), then cover with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.
To serve, lift the cream hearts out of their molds using the muslin, then invert each heart onto the berries and carefully remove the muslin. Arrange figs and orange segments around, and spoon the compote over the cream heart.
Orange & Dried Fig Compote Ingredients:
10-15 dried figs, snipped with kitchen scissors
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1 orange
Slices of 1 orange, pith etc removed, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
Some extra figs and orange segments for serving, optional Method:
Simmer everything gently for 10-15 minutes, till soft & syrupy. The syrup will thicken as the compote cools. Cool before use.
To wrap up, I managed to get in touch with 2 vanilla bean producers down in South India to get a sniff of vanilla bean production in India. I am enjoying using my precious beans; you can too if you like. I’ve put the contact details down at the bottom for both the producers!
I’ve have had good fortune of trying out a couple of varieties of vanilla beans, Madagascar included, and find that the Indian Vanilla beans I sampled from Vanilco turned out to be quite good. In my humble opinion, it’s a good quality, flavourful bean, and meets the criteria for a good quality bean. I spoke to Paul Jose, the manager at Vanilco Bean Company, one of the biggest suppliers of vanilla to the ice cream industry.
Vanilco heads a consortium of 2500 vanilla farmers, & in Mr Jose’s words, they face a unique dilemma. The slightly higher price of natural vanilla leads to most ice cream manufacturers using an imitation vanilla or a chemical substitute, so demand for pure vanilla is slack. In India very few manufacturers sell real ice cream, as ‘Ice cream’ is in name only. ‘Frozen Dessert’ is mentioned in small print’, as both vanilla and vanilla ice cream are products with standard identity, and it’s usage would mean higher prices.
Vanilco was the 1st producer complany in India established in 2004. They produce vanilla beans and 39 other value added products for both domestic and international markets. They market their product in selected tourist destinations in South India under the brand name Vanilla India.
They have a diverse range of products which include Savoury vanilla, Saffron vanilla, Vanilla Cocoa powder, Vanilla tea / coffee, Vanilla paste andVanilla sugar. The beans are not expensive compared to their US and European counter parts. In South India 1 vanilla pod will cost only around Rs. 5 to 10 (US$1=Rs48 … so you can get 4-5 beans, sometimes more, for a $).His message – The only way to promote natural vanilla is to create awareness among the public that natural vanilla is available in India, and that it’s better to use as compared to chemical substitutes.
(Disclaimer: The pictures included above are not reflective of the Vanilco product. They are the author’s pictures)
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I found that this sentiment echoes across the sector. John.P. John, CEO of Tharakan & Company, another major vanilla bean producer in India since 2000, said the same thing.
Thakaran and Company market their product under the brand name ‘Nature’s Nurture’, and are willing to courier their products to domestic consumers. They are manufacturers of finished good from vanilla beans, apart from being a supplier of the bean. They claim to be the only manufacturer of Natural Vanilla Extract with Cold process technology, which gives both aroma and taste of vanilla. They also manufacture Pure Natural Vanilla Powder, Natural vanilla Paste, Vanilla seeds etc, supplying vanilla beans in transparent tubes and vacuum pouches to the domestic market. They also offer it worldwide.In his words… Most vanilla beans under production either head for export are are used for vanilla extract. Per se, the vanilla bean is still struggling to find demand in the local market. Tharakan & Company,
Ph +91 481 2516619/ +91 481 2516119
Cell +91 94470 37383
