Vanilla – Verjuice – Vin santo
Vanilla
Together with potatoes and cacao, the vanilla pod (Vanilla planifolia) is one of the ingredients originating from the New World. Nowadays vanilla is mainly grown on islands in the Pacific Ocean. The flowers have to be pollinated by hand, because the hummingbirds and insects that take care of that in Central America are absent in the Pacific region.
Vanilla pods are the ‘fruit’ from the vanilla orchid, a climber. The pods are harvested before ripening, steamed and fermented. If you cut the pod open lengthwise you can scoop out the very small black seeds to use in dishes. You can also use the pod itself, but that has to be removed before serving.
You can also buy synthetic vanillin, which is a lot cheaper, but also a lot less in flavour. Recipes: Moutayes, Vanilla Ice Cream.
Verjuice
This is the green juice of sour, unripe grapes that was used in the Middle Ages and up to the eighteenth century. You can still buy it, but you may have to look for it. In the Netherlands verjuice was also made from unripe apples and sorrel. You can use applecider vinegar as a substitute. Make your own Verjuice. Recipes: Blackberry sauce, Meatballs in head lettuce, Eggplants in eggplantsauce, Medieval stuffed chicken, Civé d’oeufs, Green sauce.
Vin Santo
Sweet Italian wine from Tuscany. Is drunk as dessert wine. See Wikipedia for more information. Recipe: Zabaglione.
Laatste wijziging August 5, 2018