preground, though fresh and dried rhizomes
can be found in ethnic markets. Turmeric has
a woody, dry earth aroma (from mildly
aromatic terpenes called turmerone and
zingiberene), with slight bitterness and
pungency.
Vanilla Vanilla is one of the most popular
flavorings in the world. Among the spices it’s
unique for the richness, depth, and persistence
of its flavor. And it’s the second most costly,
after saffron. So in fact most of the vanilla
flavoring consumed in the world today is a
synthetic imitation of the original spice.
True vanilla comes from the pod fruit,
often called the “bean,” of a climbing orchid
native to Central and northern South America.
There are about 100 species in the tropical
genus Vanilla. V. planifolia(or V. fragrans)
was first cultivated by the Totonac Indians
along the eastern coast of Mexico near
Veracruz, perhaps as long as 1,000 years ago.