Extra-Special Vanilla

Published on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, by Sarah Perry / Edit Post

David Kahn uses a lot of vanilla beans, and he’s tried all kinds of beans and sources. By far the best, though, are the Tahitian vanilla beans from the Spice House. They’re “absolutely superior to everything else I sampled,” he says. And not better by some intangible amount: “It’s like the difference between a Cadillac and a Kia.”

Spice House Tahitian beans are “huge, plump (like the size of my little finger), super moist, and almost unbelievably fragrant and flavorful,” says David Kahn, who goes nuts for the beans’ distinct floral note. “I don’t know what sort of mutant vanilla plants they harvest these things from, but they are objectively superior to everything else I’ve tried, and I’ve tried a lot of beans.” The other vanilla bean offerings from the Spice House are good, he adds, but they’re not the outstanding treasure that the Tahitian beans are.

Board Link: In Praise of The Spice House’s Tahitian Vanilla Beans

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  • Also looking for Pasa Vanilla. I know it's not politically correct, but it has a distinct flavor that works exceptionally well in some recipes.

  • Does anyone know where I can buy Posa Vanilla from Mexico?

  • Yes, the Spice House sells real Tahitian vanilla, unlike many online sites that sell what they call "Tahitian vanilla," which is actually grown in Papua New Guinea. Some of the PNG vanilla may be grown from imported V. Tahitensis plants, but it's very poor quality in comparison to the real stuff from Tahiti. Beware counterfeit Tahitian vanilla!

  • pgalioni has more on vanilla beans here - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/612418#4607696

  • 1 bean for almost $6.00 it better be good!