Vanilla is anything but boring. The story behind the world’s second most expensive spice is one of peril and intrigue, of ingenious discoveries and booms and busts. Over the course of five centuries, the only edible orchid has been heralded as an aphrodisiac and a treatment for stomach issues, viscous humours, depression, even plague. The beans have been embroiled in the soft-power manoeuvrings of empires and were at one point so valuable they could be used as currency. That signature sweet taste has enriched cacao drinks, savoury dishes, and countless desserts — from Icelandic vínarterta torte and Italian panettone to Japanese purin custard. Louis XV’s mistress Madame de Pompadour consumed the fruit as part of a “heating diet” to offset her “cold temperament” and reignite her relationship with the king. Yet despite this eclectic profile, the word “vanilla” has become synonymous with blandness.
Eric T. Jennings is here to set the record straight...
Rose Hendrie is working on a novel.
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