I ran across a Huffington Post article on when to use vanilla beans versus vanilla extract and found it very interesting. Looking for a graphic, Wikipedia Commons had this orchid growing those flavorful beans -- wouldn't you love to have that plant handy for beans to dry?
From Wikipedia:
Vanilla, the vanilla orchids, forms a flowering plant genus of about 110 species in the orchid family (Orchidaceae). The most widely known member is the flat-leaved vanilla (V. planifolia), native to Mexico, from which commercial vanilla flavoring is derived. It is the only orchid widely used for industrial purposes in flavoring such products as foods, beverages and cosmetics, and is recognized as the most popular aroma and flavor
Any way, the HuffPo tells us the imitation can be just as useful as the vanilla bean itself, especially when baking. However, a recent Trish Yearwood cooking show had her extracting the seeds from a vanilla bean in a custard, then placing the bean itself in her sugar canister to flavor the sugar. Can't do that with an imitation. Here's my "go to" information from the HuffPo article:
“If you’re just smelling the bottle or tasting it with a little bit of milk, it might be obvious,” said Alyssa Bakke, a sensory scientist at Penn State University, “But in something like a baked good where there’s a lot of other ingredients, you’re a lot less likely to taste the difference.”
Of the hundreds of flavor compounds in a vanilla bean, the majority are highly volatile ― meaning they can’t stand the heat. When baked, the delicate flavor compounds essentially evaporate into the atmosphere. This is why certain recipes ― like fudge or vanilla custard ― call for adding the vanilla off the heat.
That's the key for what to use and when - if you want the difference between the vanilla bean and the extract, add the vanilla after the heat. Won't help on baked goods - heat is always added after the ingredients are mixed, so the extract there will suffice. HuffPo always writes:
Vanilla extract is made by soaking split vanilla beans in a solution of ethanol and water. Over time, the alcohol absorbs the flavor compounds of the vanilla beans and preserves them, leaving the extract highly flavorful and shelf-stable. Unless the bottle specifies, vanilla extract is usually made from a blend of beans from Mexico and Madagascar, and maintains a specific strength in accordance with the Federal Standard of Identity.
Another article, from Beanilla.com also tells us about the differing vanilla flavors at the very bottom of their FAQs webpage. There are a couple items that create differences:
Origin — Like fine wine, the location which the vanilla is grown plays a large role in the aroma and flavor profiles of a vanilla bean. This is due to each country having a unique method of curing and drying vanilla beans. So many unique curing processes results an equally large difference in flavors produced by the vanilla bean.
Species — There are three main species of vanilla that are produced commercially. These include vanilla planifolia, vanilla tahitiensis, and vanilla pompona. Each species has unique characteristics. The planifolia species is grown throughout much of the world, from Hawaii to Mexico to Madagascar and is by far the most heavily produced. This species is typically more round and plump compared to the other species. However, strong variations do exist. Vanilla tahitiensis, commonly referred to as “Tahitian Vanilla”, typically has a more floral aroma and flavor. Tahitian vanilla beans also contain less vanillin content (the active ingredient responsible for flavor) and are often used in perfumes. Tahitian vanilla beans also tend to be wide and flat.
Bottom line, after all the educational background, is that it's better not to grow your own vanilla; and it's okay to use the extract in baking without losing the flavor. Hope you enjoyed learning more (well, unless you really are a gourmet cook and already knew all of this - I'm not, and didn't.)
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