Just vanilla
Underappreciated and unfairly maligned. Is vanilla worth reconsidering?
Dull? Boring? Plain?
Vanilla is a byword for something which is ordinary or standard.
In this programme Ruth Alexander finds the story of the popular spice is anything but normal.
Originating in Mexico it’s travelled the globe and taken over, and is now one of the most valuable commodities available.
It’s gone from being highly sought after and the height of luxury – even serving as an aphrodisiac for Mesoamericans and a European monarch - to ubiquitous and considered “regular”.
Despite its reputation there is still a lot to appreciate about this complex flavour, and fans in one ice cream parlour are keen to make sure it isn’t overlooked.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producers: Nina Pullman and Hannah Bewley
(Image: A vanilla bean and flower. Credit: Getty Images)
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Broadcasts
- Thu 14 Nov 202404:32GMTBBC World Service
- Thu 14 Nov 202413:32GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
- Thu 14 Nov 202418:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Thu 14 Nov 202423:32GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Sun 17 Nov 202409:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa, Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & News Internet only
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