Vanilla

About

Vanilla is a universally popular flavor derived from the fermented and cured seedpods of an orchid native to Mexico but now also grown in Tahiti, Madagascar, and Indonesia. Tahitian vanilla has a fruity, spicy character often compared to cherry and anise, Madagascan is the most familiar type, and Mexican vanilla is spicier, richer, and earthier. The Incas originally used vanilla only to flavor chocolate, a role it kept until Elizabeth I's apothecary Hugh Morgan promoted its wider culinary use; today it remains essential to chocolate and is the world's most popular ice cream flavor, in addition to appearing increasingly in savory dishes and as a background note in desserts and liqueurs. Natural vanilla is expensive to produce, so most vanilla flavoring used commercially, around 97 percent, is the synthetic compound vanillin, first isolated in 1858 and synthesized in 1874, today extracted from clove oil, wood-pulp waste, and petrochemical sources. In blind tests, Cook's Illustrated found little difference between real vanilla extract and synthetic essence in custards and cakes, with tasters even preferring the stronger flavor of essence in cakes.

Pairs well with vanilla

• SuEggVanilla masks the eggy flavor that can be unwelcome in pastries and desserts.
• CiOrangeVanilla and orange meet in the American Creamsicle, a vanilla ice cream bar coated in orange-flavored ice, similar to the British Mivvi.
• FrTomatoUsed sparingly, Mexican vanilla's spicy character can draw out similar spice notes in tomato-based dishes like chili con carne while…
• FrAppleVanilla ice cream or custard is a familiar accompaniment to apple pie or crumble, and ground vanilla sugar can be dusted over hot, crisp…
• RoChocolateBoth ingredients are native to Mexico, where vanilla-flavored chocolate dates back to Aztec times, and most chocolate today includes some…
• CrCoconutThe gorse shrub, despite its thorny appearance, gives off a fragrance strongly reminiscent of coconut and vanilla custard, close enough to…
• CiGingerA Boston Cooler swaps the cola in a root beer float for ginger ale, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• MaShellfishAn unusual pairing popularized by French chef Alain Senderens, credited with first serving lobster in a vanilla beurre blanc, a sauce…
• GrAniseGalliano, the anise-and-herb liqueur, is also heavily flavored with vanilla.
• RoSesameBenne wafers, small, very sweet cookies from Charleston, South Carolina, use "benne," the Bantu word for sesame, seeds introduced to North…
• RoCoffeeAffogato, espresso poured over vanilla ice cream, works because the protein in dairy binds to coffee's tannins, softening its bitterness,…
• BrMisoSweet white miso and vanilla combined in a custard sauce taste like butterscotch.
• SpPeppercornChef Paul Gayler adds black pepper to vanilla and white chocolate fudge to balance its sweetness without overpowering the flavor, a…
• CrRaisinVanilla extract tastes boozy partly because it's often made with an alcohol base, but even alcohol-free vanilla paired with raisin carries…
• CrBananaBanana and vanilla share floral, spicy notes; vanilla's creamy sweetness softens banana's slightly citric sourness, making the two a…
• CrDateVanilla's floral, spicy notes complement dates especially well in a date milkshake, where ice cream further enriches the flavor.
• FrPineappleDole popularized pineapple upside-down cake through a 1920s marketing campaign; the caramelized pineapple against vanilla sponge cake…
• WoWalnutBlack walnut, native to northeastern America, has a bolder, fruitier, muskier flavor than the common Persian (English) walnut, lacking the…
• CrPruneA dense prune compote works well under a vanilla custard of the type used for crème brûlée, without needing a burnt-sugar topping since…
• RoMaple syrupMaple syrup's flavor varies with weather, soil and tree, but vanilla notes are consistently present in early-season syrup across…
• BeCranberryAn 1862 account describes a cranberry tart with custard as 'most luscious' specifically because the custard, given a dash of vanilla,…
• SpNutmegElizabeth David noted that fresh bay leaves taste somewhat of nutmeg and vanilla and work well in sweet cream, as in bay leaf panna cotta.
• SpAllspiceCrushed allspice berries steeped in vanilla extract add a fresh, generalized spiciness, similar to the way parsley rounds out an herb…
• WoOatFood writer Waverley Root noted that the French historically used oats mainly as a vanilla substitute; in the late 19th century, French…
• FrStrawberryA classic pairing seen in millefeuille (vanilla pastry cream and strawberries) and glazed fruit tarts, as well as in Neapolitan ice…
• CiCardamomTwo of the more expensive spices, luxurious when combined in a crème pâtissière for a fruit tart or in ice cream, where their sweet,…
• WoCashewLightly toasted cashews can taste like sponge cake, a quality that pairs naturally with vanilla.
• GrSpinachA French sweet tart filled with spinach and vanilla pastry cream traditionally appears as one of the many small desserts served at the…
• WoHazelnutFrangelico, a hazelnut liqueur from Piedmont, Italy, is made with toasted wild hazelnuts, vanilla and cocoa, giving it a smooth, buttery…
• CiTurmericVanilla's familiar, comforting flavor can make an unusual pairing like turmeric feel more approachable.