VANILLA TYPES AND USES –
THE LOWDOWN FROM THE VANILLA EXPERTS

WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS - (April 20, 2005) - The return to normalcy in the vanilla market has prompted many operators to get back to formulating with pure vanilla, and to inspire new users to begin exploring this discreet, delicate and most favored of all flavors.

But what, some may ask, is the difference between the various sources of vanillas? The experts at Nielsen-Massey have the answer.

Vanilla, Vanilla planifolia Andrews, is native to Mexico where it was highly prized by the Aztecs. Vanilla is still cultivated in Mexico today, and some of the finest vanilla beans are produced there. However, because the cultivation, curing, and distilling of vanilla extract is unregulated in Mexico, the quality of the end product is highly variable. The best Mexican vanilla offers a creamy, spicy, almost clove-like flavor, and is best when paired with sweet, spicy flavors such as chocolate, cinnamon, ginger and even chili pepper.

Vanilla’s cultivation spread from Mexico, and now it is cultivated in Madagascar, Indonesia, and Tahiti.

Indonesian vanilla is recognized as possessing a harsh, smoky, sometimes bitter flavor due to the traditional methods of curing. However, there are some very specialized applications that warrant the use of Indonesian vanilla, such as high heat/low mass extruded cookies.

Tahitian Pure Vanilla from Nielsen-Massey, from the genus Vanilla Tahitensis is characterized by a fruity, sweet, floral flavor and is prized by cooks and bakers worldwide. However, Tahitian vanilla is very delicate and cannot be used in high heat applications.

The world’s finest and most consistent vanilla comes from Madagascar. Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla from Nielsen-Massey has a creamy, sweet, velvety flavor that is perfectly suited for a range of products from baked goods to ice creams, salad dressings to barbeque sauces. Madagascar Bourbon vanilla does not have anything to do with the Tennessee whiskey of the same name, but is rather named for the Bourbon Islands off the coast of Africa. Madagascar supplies more than 60% of the world’s vanilla.

Up-and-coming producers of vanilla include Papua New Guinea, and parts of India and Africa, which may in time also produce world-class vanillas. Contact Nielsen-Massey for more information or for samples. www.Nielsen-Massey.com, or 1-800-525-PURE.

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