Know Your Vanilla - A Guide to Vanilla Varieties

When the good people over at Beanilla wanted to send me some vanilla beans, I figured, "Why not? A few quality vanilla beans would be useful to have around the house." Still, I consulted a few of my close blogging friends about it, as I wasn't sure I felt right about accepting free goods in case they expected a good review and I disagreed. But they assured me it was fine (took many long seconds to convince me), and the people at Beanilla told me that if I didn't want to review the product or didn't like it, then that was fine. So I said yes.

I was looking forward to the small vanilla package that would be coming.

I did not expect this.

Over 200 vanilla beans grown from a variety of locations around the world. I was astounded at their generosity. I immediately called all of my blogging buddies and have been slowly disseminating what are the most intense vanilla beans I have ever had (by the by, if any other Sac/Yolo food bloggers want some beans, hit me up. Any other food bloggers are down too of course if you happen to pass by.). I spent over an hour labeling, bagging, and jarring the vanilla.

But one of the things I was not prepared for was the intense diversity between the beans. How Mexican vanilla and Tongan vanilla could vary so much. I figured this might be a good chance to look over the differences between all the varieties / regions of vanilla.

Madagascar - Dark, full bodied, and rummy with a hint of tobacco, just like Rob (the guy I talked to at Beanilla) told me it would be. Perfect for recipes that might be flambed or if you need a vanilla to stand up to powerful flavors that might overshadow it.

Bourbon - Very, very fruity! My god, it's like being surrounded by fresh Farmer's Market produce. I would use this one everywhere for everything.

Mexico - This vanilla is sweet, smooth and creamy. My personal favorite. Perfect for hot chocolate, liquors, creams, and cakes.

Tonga - Reminds me of cherries and of autumn and all that you associate with it. More of a delicate flavor. I think it would be great for savory dishes, ice creams, and cakes.

Papau New Guinea - Subtle and fruity, but to Kristy and me, had notes of chocolate and red wine. I'm still not sure what I would use it for. Maybe poached fruit or pastry cream. I look forward to working with it.

Tahiti - Floral, with hints of licorice. To me it has a heavy scent of figs. Great for fruit compotes, jams, and maybe spice rubs.

Indian - The beans are huge and very oily, with a very muted, woodsy quality. A good vanilla that would stand up well to spices with a more heady comportment in a dish, where the presence of cloves, rosemary, cinnamon, or thyme (and other such flavors with a dominating flavor) may threaten to eclipse other vanilla varieties.

Tahitensis & Planifolia Blend - The most typical and assuring of the vanillas. It's what you expect and look forward to vanilla being. Reliable as sunrise, it can be easily be used for any recipe.

We'll be doing a lot of vanilla recipes coming up in the very near future, and if you click on the vanilla tag at the bottom of this post, you'll find lots of other great vanilla recipes already here on the site. Also, here are a few other great vanilla recipes, if you have any others feel free to link up to them or write them in the comments section.

French Vanilla Ice Cream - Simply Recipes
Vanilla-Orange Sauce - The Perfect Pantry
Vanilla Bean Doughnuts - Coconut & Lime
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta - Cooking Up A Story
Lobster Bread Pudding with Vanilla Chive Sauce - Epicurious
Various Vanilla Bean Recipes at Vanilla Garlic

Thanks again to Rob at Beanilla, I and the other bloggers using the vanilla send our appreciation!