Épices de Cru Madagascar Vanilla

In a nutshell: This lovely vanilla pod from Madagascar has a delicate raisin and spicy aroma.

The classic French Bourbon vanilla pod that we all love. Madagascar is the world’s largest producer of vanilla beans growing 90% of the world’s production. 

Vanilla is the fruit of a plant belonging to the orchid family. Originally from Mexico, it is now cultivated throughout many regions of the world. Traditionally, it is used to enhance desserts, but when used sparingly, it is surprisingly delicious in poultry, fish or sea food dishes. The most popular way to use the bean is to cut along its length then remove the minuscule black seeds and incorporate them directly into a recipe. Keep the empty shell of the bean to use as an infusion in cream or milk-based desserts. To make your own vanilla extract, place four to six beans in a glass of alcohol (we recommend vodka because its neutral), store securely, then wait two months before using.

There are many ways to use vanilla beans. Simply split the beans and scrape the seeds into your recipe. The split bean should not be discarded and can be infused in boiling milk to make custards and other milk-based desserts. Split and whole beans can be placed in a jar or bottle, which is then filled 40% alcohol or plain vodka and left to sit for a 1-2 months. We recommend 4 to 6 vanilla beans per 300ml of alcohol.

Split and whole beans can be used to make vanilla sugar. Simply place the beans in a jar with sugar and let rest for a few weeks before using. As the sugar in your jar is used replenish regularly with more sugar and the occasional bean. Never discard the dry vanilla beans as they will simply disintegrate with time. 

Details Each tube contains 1 vanilla bean

About Épices de Cru
Épices de Cru began in 1982 as a catering partnership between Philippe and Ethné de Vienne. Their mission was a kind of “cooking pot anthropology:” learning the secrets of family cooking around the world and applying these techniques to the needs of hungry Montrealers. The secret, they learned, was spices. Over the last two decades, Philippe and Ethné have searched for the world’s best spices, accompanied by their children, Marika and Arik. The de Viennes believe in direct sourcing spices: visiting growing regions, spending time with growers, and developing personal relationships that last decades. In 2004, they officially opened their first spice shop in Montreal’s fantastic Jean Talon market– it’s since become a mecca for foodies from all over the world. I first visited in 2008 and have been buying and using their spices on a regular basis ever since that first exciting visit. They steadfastly maintain that they do nothing original, only facilitating the exchange of culinary common sense from one place to another. But, what they do is simply quite brilliant - by providing us with the finest quality ingredients, and their superb spice mixes, we can all experiment with unusual spices and recreate delicious recipes from around the world.