Vanilla pods: properties and benefits:
Vanilla is known for various properties and benefits related to its active ingredients. According to recent studies, vanilla also appears to act as an antidepressant due to the presence of molecules very similar to human pheromones. In aromatherapy, in fact, it is used to combat insomnia. In this sense, it is also used to calm states of nervous hunger.
Therefore, we can say that vanilla is a natural antiseptic.
Vanilla pods contain polyphenol, an active ingredient with extraordinary antioxidant properties. The latter act on the action of free radicals, and prevent premature aging of cells, also slowing down the formation of a substance called peroxynitrite which causes damage to brain cells. Studies are still underway to investigate the effects of vanillin on patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Origins and historical notes:
The "Vanilla Vanilla planifolia Andrews" plant, from the "Orchidaceae" family, is native to the eastern coast of Mexico, and is cultivated throughout Central America and much of Brazil, but the most prized variety comes from Madagascar and the island of Reunion.
The Aztecs called it tlilxochitl, "black flower", referring to the color of the fruit after processing. They used vanilla to flavor their cocoa-based drink, xocoatl, or chocolate. To endure long marches in the tropical forest, Aztec warriors drank a fatty chocolate that, in that hot climate, could easily go rancid. To slow its degradation and tone down its bitterness, they added the berries of a wild orchid. They had discovered that vanilla not only paired perfectly with cocoa, enhancing its aroma, but also protected its freshness.
It was only at the beginning of the 19th century that the vanilla plant was imported to Europe for cultivation and from there it reached the islands of the Indian Ocean. Mexico had a monopoly on the vanilla trade from the 16th to the 19th century. In 1841, Edmond Albius, a former slave on the French island of Réunion, perfected a practical method for manually pollinating flowers so that they would produce fruit. This led to the commercial cultivation of vanilla outside the Mexican borders.
Today the main producers of vanilla are the former island possessions of France, such as Réunion, the Comoros and Madagascar, which is the most important producer.
There are over 150 varieties of Vanilla orchids, but only two of them have the characteristic aroma: Bourbon and Tahiti. The first is native to the Gulf of Mexico, also called Mexican Vanilla, while that of other regions, such as Madagascar or Indonesia, is called Bourbon, from the name of the Bourbon Islands, formed by Madagascar, the Comoros Islands, Réunion, the Seychelles and Mauritius.
The Bourbon quality is the most valuable, especially if it comes from Madagascar and the Comoros Islands. The Mexican quality is very similar but the aroma is slightly less intense and vaguely recalls the smell of aromatic wood.
The second, instead, grows in Tahiti and is of slightly lower quality, although it contains a greater quantity of vanillin essential oil. The aroma is more fruity and floral and can recall that of licorice, cherries and some red wines.
Use in cooking: muffins with chocolate chips. Ingredients: butter softened at room temperature 125 g Flour 00 265 g Sugar 135 g Whole milk at room temperature 135 g Eggs (about 2) at room temperature 110 g Dark chocolate chips 100 g Vanilla pod 1 level Bicarbonate of soda 1 teaspoon Fine salt 1 pinch Baking powder for cakes 10 g.
PREPARATION: To prepare the muffins with chocolate chips, work the butter, left to soften at room temperature for at least an hour previously, with the sugar, with an electric whisk until you obtain a frothy and creamy mixture.
Then cut a vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds using the back of a knife. Pour the latter into the bowl with butter and sugar. Turn the whisks on again and add the eggs, also at room temperature, one at a time so that the ingredients do not separate. Now sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate directly into the bowl with the mixture.
Also add a pinch of salt and turn the whisks on again to incorporate the powders. You will notice that the mixture will become more consistent so stemperater with the milk at room temperature poured in a thin stream. At this point the mixture will be soft and compact.
Add 80 grams of chocolate chips and mix with a spatula to incorporate them, then transfer the mixture into a disposable piping bag without a nozzle. This way you can do a cleaner job, otherwise you can use a spoon. Place the paper cups in a muffin pan and fill them 2/3 full, leaving less than a centimeter from the surface. Each muffin should weigh approximately 70 grams.
Pour the remaining 20 chocolate chips on the cakes and bake in a preheated oven at 180° for 18-20 minutes in static mode (otherwise at 160° for 13-15 minutes if the oven is fan-assisted). At this point your chocolate chip muffins are ready to be enjoyed.
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