The chemical secrets behind vanilla's allure

From ice cream to lattes, vanilla is one of the most popular spices in the world. It's also one of the most labor-intensive to produce, and shortcuts lead to a less tasty product. Today, scientists report a profile of 20 ...

Vanilla cultivation on fallow land promotes biodiversity

How can biodiversity be preserved while securing the economic livelihood of smallholder farmers growing vanilla in Madagascar? There is a way, according to a study by the Universities of Göttingen, Marburg and Hohenheim. ...

Vanilla spice: arid Israel produces potent tropical pods

In his busy Tel Aviv restaurant, chef Yair Yosefi adds a magic ingredient to his signature cake: Israel's first commercially produced vanilla providing what devotees claim is perhaps the strongest ever flavor.

Fungi add flavor to vanilla

Worldwide, vanilla is the most popular flavor we know. Vanilla is also a popular product in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, where it is used in perfumes and medicines, amongst other things. The only source of vanilla ...

Vanilla cultivation under trees promotes pest regulation

The cultivation of vanilla in Madagascar provides a good income for smallholder farmers, but without trees and bushes, the plantations can lack biodiversity. Agricultural ecologists from the University of Göttingen, in cooperation ...

Vanilla makes milk beverages seem sweeter

Adding vanilla to sweetened milk makes consumers think the beverage is sweeter, allowing the amount of added sugar to be reduced, according to Penn State researchers, who will use the concept to develop a reduced-sugar chocolate ...

Making vanilla flavoring with less pollution

In small amounts, vanilla flavoring enhances the taste of our baked goods, desserts and ice cream. But making it synthetically, which is the most common route to keeping the ingredient affordable these days, creates a stream ...

Video: Are we running out of vanilla?

Vanilla is more than a standby ice cream flavor. It's used to flavor approximately 18,000 food products worldwide and in nearly every sweet you can think of. But a shortage of vanilla beans and a rising demand for them means ...

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