Vanilla Bean, the Next Black-market Item

by Chewy

     It’s just one continual nightmare when it comes to dessert ingredient shortages.  I think we’re coping fairly well with the chocolate shortage and my cacao tree is being nurtured and fed and sung to daily (for optimum production). I’ve stock piled my Twinkies in an underground vault and they should stay fresh for decades. I’ve turned to alternative sugars (more about this later) to offset the  possible diminished  production of cane sugar. But this one may put me over the edge as I have no idea how to cope. There is a significant vanilla bean shortage! The HORROR!

     If you’ve read my blog on vanilla, you are aware that there are 4 major producers of the vanilla bean. Two of these, Mexico (the origin of the vanilla bean) and India are not pulling their weight.  Due to a poor harvest, production of the beans fell 90 percent in Mexico and Indonesia last year. That means the responsibility to provide fell to Madagascar and the monopoly begins. In fact 40 percent of the world’s supply was shipped out of Madagascar due to deferred orders from these other areas. As with all monopolies, this means cashing in  and wholesale prices have soared from $25 per kilogram to $35-$40 in two months. Cha-ching!

     There are a couple of reasons for this failure of production. According to Nick Peksa (Mintec business development director), “The stocks in the world are being run down and we are getting to a point now where we are likely to see the price suddenly shoot upwards”. Point taken, as you get older you just don’t reproduce like you use to. Additionally, cultivation process from planting to storefront can take up to six years. Throw in the labor intensive fertilization process and harvesting and you create the second most expensive spice next to saffron ($2270.00/lb).

     So how will this affect John Q Public? First, vanilla is the most expensive ingredient in ice cream and according to Peska, “It could push the price of ice cream up by around 10 percent”.  So as summer approaches and we experience our annual gas hike, so will go our vanilla ice cream. Additionally, you can expect other food production, medicines and perfumes to experience an increase in cost as well.

     I am at a loss as to where to turn for relief. Having fallen in love with the vanilla bean and incorporated its use in the kitchen and else where, I am loathe to give it up.  The only substitute I have come across is  Castoreum, the exudate from the castor sacs of mature beavers see (vanilla extract recipe) and I am giving serious consideration to adopting a fertile pair and cornering that market. Until then, I have placed my order for vanilla beans, which should be arriving in an armored truck any day.

REAL VANILLA EXTRACT RECIPE

     The recipe calls for vanilla extract. You go to the store and see two choices: real vanilla extract and imitation flavored vanilla extract. Then you look at the prices and mumble to yourself, “Will they really notice the difference?”.  There is no doubt the real deal will cost you more and yes, the discerning palate will notice a difference. Does the CZ sparkle as brightly as the diamond? Sparkle it does, but you can still see the large distinction between the two. Additional food for thought (Yes, it’s a pun. I’ll wait until you quit groaning.) is considering what goes into imitation vanilla. Wikipedia offers the following:

Non-plant vanilla flavoring
In the United States, Castoreum, the exudate from the castor sacs of mature beavers, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a food additive,[33] often referenced simply as a "natural flavoring" in the product's list of ingredients. It is commonly used in both food and beverages, especially as vanilla and raspberry flavoring.[34] It is also used to flavor some cigarettes and in perfume-making.


They make it sound so yummy and natural, which it admittedly is.

      As an advocate of “use the best to taste the best”, I also realize the financial fall out of doing so. Disposable income is not a phrase bandied  nor recognized in my household, consequently I’m constantly looking for ways to procure quality that I can afford.  Not having any desire to purchase a mature beaver and collecting the castoreum, which I can’t help but think makes for a testy beaver, I suggest buying the vanilla bean and making your own extract. I recommend eBay and have been pleased with both my purchases and prices.

     You will need the following items:


1) 6 long vanilla beans

2) 1 quart vodka

Split the beans open length wise and place in the bottle of vodka. As one cooks only with wine one would drink, I feel the same about the vodka. It doesn’t take Grey Goose, but I wouldn’t use anything that doubles for paint remover. Tighten cap and place in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks. Occasionally you will need to “agitate” (shake) the bottle. Again, safer than agitating a beaver! Those little seeds are called caviar and can be strained out with cheesecloth, but I think they add additional flavor and scream “I’m real!”. As you use the extract you can add more vodka to the bottle and reuse the beans until you no longer get desired color and taste.

by Chewy-bacca-nista

AND YOU THOUGHT IT WAS JUST VANILLA

     Vanilla. The default flavor for ice cream,  prerequisite for most baking, medically used in aromatherapy,  dabbed behind the ear as an aphrodisiac and infused in all types of air fresheners, this single commodity can be readily identified with one whiff. And let the drooling commence. Whether your think of vanilla as boringly bland or simple perfection, there is no doubt the impact this single bean has had on the world.

     A vanilla bean is the seed bearing fruit of an orchid blossom. History credits the ancient Totonaco Indians of Mexico as the original cultivators and the mythology behind it reads like a Shakespearian tragedy. It starts with parental interference of two lovers  culminating in their capture, death and intermingled blood hitting the ground resulting in the vine of the vanilla orchid. Romeo and Juliet just got a standing ovation. After those painful beginnings, the Totonaco people were not going to just GIVE away this creation, so the Aztecs invaded, conquered and demanded they do so. Just to prove you reap what you sow, the Aztec were defeated by Spain’s Hernando Cortez who absconded not only with the vanilla beans but also cacao. Combining these two resulted in a beverage fit for a king, literally, as only the rich could afford it. And you thought vanilla was expensive today. At least nobody dies at the grocery store and our kitchens are not invaded.

     The vanilla orchid had an exclusive contract with the local Melipona bee for pollination. Really exclusive as efforts to cultivate outside of Mexico failed until 1841 when it was discovered that hand pollination provided the desired results, but without the romance. Sigh. This procedure allowed for expanded cultivation and today there are four main areas of the world that provide and export vanilla beans. Each territory offers its own unique qualities and attributes and these should be kept in mind when purchasing vanilla beans. Off the east coast of Africa is an island, Madagascar, that offers the largest  production globally. Designated the Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, it has no connection with Jack Daniels, but refers to the Bourbon islands and is thought to be the highest quality with attributes of sweet, smooth and creamy.  The second major producer, Indonesia, offers a vanilla that is woody and phenolic. Okay, let me digress for one moment. I had to look this up too as the one and only time I have ever seen or used the word phenolic,  was in the previous sentence. American Heritage dictionary states it is of, pertaining to, containing, or derived from phenol. Clear now? Back to subject, the distant third place goes to our vanilla origins, Mexico with a creamy, sweet and spicy sensation. Tahiti lands fourth with a fruity, flowery and anisic (Really? Anisic? Who tastes like this?) description.

     When purchasing vanilla beans you should keep a few things in mind. First they are sorted by quality and grade. Grade is mostly determined by length of the bean. Longer bean, more vanilla flavor. I like it when they keep things simple. If you decide to make your own vanilla extract, it should be noted that most are made from grade B beans. Moisture content is also significant, with grade A having 30-35% moisture content and grade B 15-25%. Of course, as discussed, desired flavor qualities as designated by growing location is vital . Especially if you are looking for something phenolic or anisic!

     The whole process from planting to market can  take from 5-6 years. Throw in the labor intensive hand pollination and you  have designed the second most expensive spice after saffron. Nothing replaces that distinctive flavor, that “peculiar bouquet” that magnifies both commercial and domestic baked goods. There is no doubt vanilla is an enhancement to life itself!

by Chewy-bacca-nista