Vanilla: A History
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- Опубліковано 21 лют 2021
- ‘Vanilla’ has come to mean ‘standard,' ‘ordinary,’ or even ‘boring.' But the story of Vanilla is considerably more complex than that. It is a centuries long epic involving a child genius, modern chemistry, and a much more complex flavor than it is given credit for.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
You can purchase the bow tie worn in this episode at The Tie Bar:
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All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.
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Script by JCG
#history #thehistoryguy #vanilla
![[柴犬ASMR]曼玉Manyu&小白Bai 毛发护理Spa asmr](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0TsXQ7z2Dh4/mqdefault.jpg)
As a pastry chef and chocolatier, I always make sure that my vanilla is 100% pure vanilla; I prefer Tahitian vanilla. So many people have no idea how complex the growing and propagation of vanilla really is. Excellent job on this video!
My grandmothers brother; Orville, was a horticulturist and his favorite pastime was orchids. He had several greenhouses that he used for cultivation. In the corner of one he had several Vanilla Planifolia, the flat leafed, most common variety for commercial vanilla production. He dreamed of building a large enough operation to cultivate for US based production. Never happened, but from his small greenhouse plants my grandmother used to make Vanilla ice cream with her "secret family recipe". I have never tasted anything "vanilla" that came close. My dad used to say Rum was also a "secret" ingredient. LOL Thanks for that fond memory!
@ Randall Parker You are very fortunate. I've the the experience of eating vanilla ice cream made from the real thing and most people have no idea how artificial the commercial "vanilla" really is. I was taught to make the most of vanilla beans by burying them in a closed crock of sugar . The flavored sugar could then be used.
Yum!
Vanilla and rum are ingredients in several desserts. It mixes well.
I hate how ubiquitous vanilla has become that people no longer appreciate how exquisite it is
I used to be a purchasing agent for food manufacturing and spent a lot of time purchasing pure vanilla extract. Interestingly, today, even though vanilla originated in Mexico most pure vanilla does not come from Mexico. The most (and the best) Pure Vanilla extract comes from Madagascar with smaller amounts grown in Indonesia and Tahiti. Also there are strong taste differences between each area that produces pure vanilla as, the soils and climate has a profound affect on the resulting taste.
My wife says she is only interested in Madagascar vanilla. She makes good stuff with it, so who am I to argue?
We in Canada prefer the beaver butt stuff.
@@davidaustin6962 Beavers have nice flavor.
"The most (and the best) Pure Vanilla extract comes from Madagascar "
Gee, if only THG had mentioned that. 9-9
@@jdinhuntsvilleal4514 I put up the post before I heard him include that as part of his story. And, I include information not a part of his story. Relax, you will live longer without all the stress.
Well, in a UA-cam channel dedicated to unlikely war stories, nuclear near misses and the births of legends, this was certainly not a... vanilla episode of THG.
Da history dude.... Spicing things up since 1964
@@derrekvanee4567 😂
@@SoCalCycleLawyer
...what?
haha! Check out the one on sliced bread, yup The History Guy made sliced bread interesting too.
@@SoCalCycleLawyer He was applauding THG, not knocking him. Read the comment again.
As a Pastry Chef, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my Vanilla loving heart for this episode.
History cat loves making a cameo appearance .
Not so much in this one it seemed.
Obviously it deserves pets!
Cat-meow = Cameo?
I've seen him in a coupe of the recent videos. Needs to get his celebrity on, I guess.
Would've made more sense if it was a beaver ... "It's anything butt" (8:48)
In 1971 our family trip was camping two weeks thru Mexico. There my mom bought 4 vanilla beans which she wrapped up and kept in a jar using them for special occasions. I thought it was one of her german quirks, now I know it was truly a special treat she provided to us. Thanks for this bit of history.
“Hey, this beaver’s butt tastes like vanilla!” Could it be that the discovery of castoreum is history *NOT* worth remembering???
Why would you even be looking there?
Um, I just read about the history of castoreum (curiosity killed the beaver, as they say in... nowhere). And it’s... honestly kind of interesting...........
Would it be out of line to say that certain desserts do, in fact, taste like ass?
@@DWilliam1 Whenever I hear information like this, it makes me wonder just how the discovery was made.
@@onliwankannoli I didn’t mean you, I meant the people who discovered it. Should have worded my response better.
Would love to learn the history of Saffron.
"I'm just wild about Saffron and Saffron is wild about me." Mr. J, does this jog a memory? THANKS!
@@scottkoenig6326 I was going to post the same Donovan line
Hah! That is the song I sing to my daughter at bed time, but I change the words. No joke :)
@@dennis8196 Thank you, D.S. That means we both are 50 or better, right?
When I was a youth , I had an unhealthy fascination with Posh Spice........
which cost my folks a fortune in Saffron.
Also, Paul McCartney sings the "quite rightly" line.
Cats have the most priceless expressions on their face. This one is "I just have to wait a bit longer and he WILL let me down."
Thank you for covering Vanilla. I went to a vanilla plantation on Hawaii and it was amazing. I minored in military history in my undergraduate years and I love history. Vanilla is exotic and if only more people knew how vanilla has changed the world, they would have more appreciation for it.
Typical History Guy - History with human interest. Wonderful, as always.
Even cats love history. Ours are are watching too.
Your seals need to work on their arc arcs
I must say, I love the episodes where THG's cat makes an appearance just little bit more than the average.
The history of citrus cultivation is more interesting than most people know.
Or bananas, on which HG did a video.
I wish we could once again have white grapefruits. The ruby reds and pomelo juices and fruits are just not the same.
Facts there, would love to see a video on citrus cultivation! It has pretty unique history in regards to U.S. Environmental History especially in states like California and Florida
@@GregKrynen That's just racist......
@@rherman9085 Hey stop it, I am trying to watch the European scientist talk about the Mars landing and laughing this hard makes me lose my attention... or it is his voice.
Being a farmer's son I personally love the episodes about food, agriculture, and weather.
I've had vanilla ice cream with vanilla seeds only once, and that stuff was delicious.
Why didn’t you keep eating it? I eat it fairly often.
Just what I needed, plain vanilla history.
I have two black kittens, both sisters, and they were watching "Vanilla" with me and both got very excited at the appearance of the History Cat. So much so that they hopped up in front of the TV to try and investigate it further.
A new excitement for them, as they otherwise enjoy watching cricket, following the ball with an unexpected interest!
Do a history on catnip, love to see how the cat responds
@MrPitjoey Second.
@@bat2293
?mmm.mm?.........m.mmmm???mmm?mmmmmmmmmmm?
@@bat2293
?mmm.mm?.........m.mmmm???mmm?mmmmmmmmmmm?
@@bat2293
?mmm.mm?.........m.mmmm???mmm?mmmmmmmmmmm?
@@bat2293
?mmm.mm?.........m.mmmm???mmm?mmmmmmmmmmm?
Chocolate vs Vanilla, Mary Ann vs. Ginger. Some things we'll never resolve, but we are a winner in either case.
Chocolate or Vanilla? BOTH!
Chocolate. It is and has been resolved since before the creation of the universe and will remain so after its demise.
There is a reason that chocoholic is a recognised word and vanillaholic is not.
Since almost all chocolate products also contain vanilla, the question is moot. Even plain vanilla ice cream tastes better with chocolate syrup or hot fudge on top. They go together like hamburgers and mustard or broccoli and cheese.
@@ltlbuddha And yet, vanilla remains the favorite ice cream flavor in the US, not to mention mine. Oh, and Mary Ann. Definitely.
Excuse me, I have to run out and get some ice cream. I think I'll get butter pecan this time and avoid the controversy. This time.
Strawberry begs to differ, and there will always be some "Neapolitan" to complicate the issue, ell-oh-ell.
Always glad to see The History Cat in videos; Most people don't know that Dr. John S. Pemberton, inventor of Coca-Cola, died in poverty.
Thank you, Lady. I did not know that.
Because of a cocaine addiction? Surely, it didn't only go into the drink.
The history guy, how about famous historical animals, famous ships cats, war dogs, war horses, and some of the ones who have been enlisted or promoted to ensure their survival and or return to home!!!
Thanks for the inspiration 'The History Cat'
@@lightdark00 And, that previous generation were often Opium eaters. That's OK, Prohibition was right around the corner. Look at us now. THANKS!
@@Craig-wp3pz I would recommend you watch THG episode about Sgt Reckless USMC !
History Kitty looks especially cuddly today.
Thank you, History Guy! As a baker, I'm very respectful of the value of vanilla!
This certainly adds a new perspective. Makes me realise exactly why it's so expensive. I used to buy bulk vanilla beans to make my own extracts until it just got too darn expensive.
The history of Vanilla DESSERTS to be remembered. 😁
An excellent book on the history and efforts it takes to make a simple meal is ‘Much Depends on Dinner’ by Margaret Visser. It is a study as to what goes into making supper for a small dinner party using simple ingredients and what it took historically to bring these foods to our tables. It looks into chicken, lemons, olive oil, vanilla, milk and a number of other foods that we take for granted. A fascinating and easy read, yet quite eye opening.
Who else thought the History Guy was going to tie vanilla and cats in his close?
I hadn't thought of that but I can see how one could think that. Stay safe.
History cat seemed disappointed that the lecture was about vanilla, rather than catnip.
Reunion Island does have a rat infestation problem. Sounds like cats to need to save vanilla.
Cat says: "Forget about vanilla! PET MEEE!"
@@chuckwilliams6261 Ah, catnip, Nepeta Cataria and Nepeta Mussinii.
History cat says “The heck with vanilla! Let’s hear the history of tuna!”
The History Guy should do a collaboration with Townsends on the history of Nutmeg!
Too funny
Great episode. Vanilla is my second favorite ice cream flavor, after strawberry. However, it is the standard by which I judge ice cream brands. If your vanilla offering is not good, you're just masking poor quality with flavoring in other cases.
Vanilla and strawberry are my favorite ice creams. There is so much history behind even the mundane things like vanilla. The star of the show the history cat shows himself once again!
Many commercial users of real vanilla have well equipped analytical labs with spectrometers so sophisticated that they can determine where the pods were grown! (Candy makers paying for the best vanilla beans don't want the cheaper ones mixed in!) 🤓
A true vanillin observation
I've always believed that vanilla ice cream produced during the 70s was the reason that vanilla became synonymous with the word "bland." The first half of the decade was mired in inflation and everyone was 'freaking out' over the prices of virtually everything. We were all introduced the term "generic," and had to deal with cut-rate versions of many products, such as vanilla ice cream. A lot of which was so flavorless, I often referred to it as 'white' ice cream.
Need to check your volume leveling there History Guy.
I get an average of -6 dbi with a peak of -2dbi. What do. You read sir hears a lot?
Yeah, a bit variable today for some reason..... 😐
Did you hire Simon's audio engineer?
I noticed that too, very unlike the History Guy, his videos are generally very professionally done. Considering that some people don't seem to be noticing it I wonder if it's more apparent if you are watching with a good sound system instead of something like a phone or tablet.
Thank you for this history. My brother brought a jar of vanilla beans back from Mexico a few years ago. We loved taking a sniff from that jar for years, even after only specks remained.
Did you put the beans in vodka or Everclear to make your own vanilla extract....? 🤔
@@gus473 IIRC, we used clear rum, but yes.
History Cat reminds me a lot of my late great ‘Tiberius’ Never will I meet again such a moody, cantankerous, demanding, obstinate, everything-on-my-terms creature. ‘Bibbs’ would spend much of his time dreaming up new ways to annoy me. He’d demand to have doors opened, rather than suffer the indignity of cat flaps. Would awaken me at 4am to tell me he wasn’t really hungry, but could probably manage a light snack. Tiberius had an infuriating ability to take up an entire bed, leaving me scrunched up on the edge. He’d run up and down the stairs JUST to keep me awake. He was a nightmare. And lived to be twenty years old. He died two years ago. And I miss him every day.
‘Tiberius Maximus’ deserves to be remembered
My 3 different strain based homemade batches of vanilla extract have taken offence to your comment about my pantry lol
I can remember back in the 1950's when Breyers ice cream was a quality brand the vanilla ice cream had black specks in it. We thought it was dirt and would not eat it. I always look at the ingredient label and appears everything now made with artificial vanilla.
I never knew how complicated vanilla production was. I always use pure vanilla in all recipes, based on tastes. Artificial vanilla flavor (vanillin) sounds frightening after your description of what it is based on.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful cat again. 🐈
Making vanilla extract is very simple (my great-great aunt "M", child 7 of 8, (born 1919) taught my grandmother how to make it, and we know that Aunt M learned from her mother "E" who was born in the 1870s. Just buy a large bottle (ours is 1.75L) of the cheapest vodka (or other flavorless alcohol) and some vanilla beans. Chop the beans (20-ish) up like carrot sticks, not too short, not too long and slice them lengthwise once, and let the bottle sit for a year (while you finish up the previous bottle) before you start to use it. It will look like molasses, but not thick. Just leave the beans in there and shake after every use (it will just get stronger and stronger) until your homemade extract nearly runs out, to a years-ish worth. One big bottle of hooch will literally have several years worth of legit vanilla extract, not the cheap fake stuff. You will even know where the beans came from. For us, (my parents and I) we are talking around 8-10 years worth of vanilla extract. The longer it sits the stronger it will be and when it starts to run out, you will have to use a spoon style coffee/tea strainer to remove the chopped vanilla beans/seeds, but that will be the strongest stuff. Just the cheap vodka is the same price as a couple of tiny bottles of the store-bought extract, so it will pay for itself pretty quick.
@@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059
Thank you for sharing your recipe 😊
Wow! Your last sentence about vanillin being added to rubber explains something that's fascinated me since I was a kid.
In pet shops you find blue rubber bones for dogs to chew. The usually have a bell in one end.
Their scent has been one of my favourite smells ever! I called the scent "blue dog rubber".
Everytime I go into a pet shop I can smell that smell.
Now I know why! It's vanillin! I love vanilla & now I know why I love blue dog rubber too!
Thank you HG! Much appreciated!
I wouldn’t want to live in a world without vanilla.
I've got to say Mr. History Guy, literally every single episode title of yours that pops up on my feed I want to jump up and pump my fist and exclaim, "Yes!!!! I'm not the only one who's heard of this and thinks it's cool!!!" Bravo.
A crossover between this channel and tasting history would be so fun
HG posted this video 4 hours ago and it already has 14k views. I guess there are tons of other people that appreciate a good storyteller. Congrats on your UA-cam success, HG!
History Guy! Thanks so much for contributing. I am home,recovering from a stroke. I listen to you constantly,in hopes of learning to talk again. I may have suggested this idea prior (stroke,remember?) have you ever looked at the Sony point Disaster? Fascinating.
A number of years ago I successfully nurtured a vine to flowering. And pollinated, grew and then cured the pods in my home in the San Francisco area. I made extract, and for my 60th birthday in 2013 a friend used it in my birthday cake!What a wonderful video! Thank you!
I absolutely adore the flavour of vanilla! I’ve never understood why it came to be synonymous with ‘bland’ or ‘anodyne’ or some-such.
My wife has the real thing. I went with her to purchase the Vanilla extract once. She never complains about the cost of my cigars anymore. Two hundred dollars a bottle.
I think there should be an episode on the guy who said "I want to make my own vanilla but how? Hand me that beaver..."
🤣🤣🤣
Delighted with your channel as usual fellow mid-westerner. I spend days enjoying your historical perspectives, my love for aviation history from my favorite aviation buff from the south and my favorite political analyst from the north. You three are amazing. You remind me how to smile.
you always blow my mind wide open History Guy. still one of the very best channels on any platform.
This video makes me want to grow a vanilla vine.
What is the history of how you got the cat? That is history that deserves to be remembered.
Another cameo visit from History Cat! And I didn't think that I could enjoy The History Guy more! Thanks for the informative episode, History Guy!
You may know this, but in the flavor spectrum, Vanilla possess the singular roll of flavor enhancer. The Chocolate and Strawberry people know that if they want their product to taste more like Chocolate or Strawberry, they add Vanilla - just a small drop.
In today's episode, Lance channels his inner Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and considers his plans for world domination.
That moment when I realized that I had never tasted real vanilla
You should buy some, it is worth it. Like HG said, while the main flavor is vanilin there is so much more going on, very complex. While Madagascar vanilla is very good, I bought some Los Cinco Soles from Mexico at a festival once and fell in love with it. It has become my choice ever since (it is not very expensive either). Of course there are negative reviews of it but then again, taste is subjective so your mileage may vary. Either way I am confident in saying, get some pure vanilla beans or extract as any form of the real stuff makes the imitation seem lacking. Have a nice day.
Much more full bodied. Like real Cinnamon vs the fake stuff.
@Michael Phillips , yeah, Creme Brule, my wife's favorite dessert.
😢
10:45 Huh? Did you say something? I was busy looking at the kitty.
@ The History Guy.
This is possibly my favorite UA-cam channel, when the day has been rough and I need to escape politics this channel is pure and wholesome thank you.
They sure spent a hot minute giving the pure form it's name:
Scientist 1: "Hmm, what are we going call the thing that puts the 'vanilla' in vanilla?
Scientist 2: "The vanilla in vanilla? Hmm, vanilla...in...vanilla... Vanilla in...vanilla.... vanilla in... That's it! Vanilla in! But we'll spell it 'vanillin'." ;)
Just learned that the University of Florida Ag school has developed a vanilla which can be grown in Florida. When I can get my hands on some, I'll grow it on my oak tree.
Lol I wasn’t expecting this level of detail. Great stuff.
10:43 My cat every time I start an online meeting. "Ooo, what's this here meow? Can I join the fun meow?"
Another great video. I think I've only had it in Sweets. It's weird, I was thinking about Vanilla about a year ago, as a flavor and how much I loved it but how little I liked V Ice Cream. So= I went out and bought a pint at Trader Joes= I was blown away. After that I pretty much Just bought from them but tried a few others and this is what I discovered= Cheap vanilla ice cream= isn't very good. They don't put hardly any of it in the ice cream and I think that is what has led to the use of Vanilla for something that is bland or ordinary. I only buy Trader Joes Vanilla and though I buy B&J's regularly- half of all I eat is TJ's and only their Vanilla- it's the best.
Thank you! I really love this one. It’s fascinating to learn the complicated history of such a seemingly little pleasure. Maybe now I won’t complain so much about the price of vanilla! 😋
As a Horticulturalist, I would love to hear a THG-spin on the history of certain ornamental species inparticular. Perhaps the Azalea, and its connection with Southern culture. Vanilla, Bananas, and Apples all changed the world and the palate, but what about the yards and decor of American and global yards?
Maybe even a history of the yard/lawn in general. Where it comes from? Is the prevalence of the lawn in American culture from the English/Scottish nostalgia for the rolling green hills of Britain? Or is it from the French and English cleared-castle fields of early medieval military drilling?
Much history here I believe, and I hope this intrigues you. Thank you.
I knew that I wouldn't make it through this video without you mentioning beaver butts.☺
Ikr. I was like "he's gonna at least mention that right?" ... Alas it was but a footnote, but as I understood it for some time that was a significant part of the supply ... Even affected the beaver population.
Your esoteric teaching of history is amazing
What a chill kitty. Awwwww
Thanks for this history - I always look forward to what's coming next on your channel. The quality of your work is exceeded only by its variety! I saw vanilla growing in Sri Lanka a few years ago. I wish I new this background story before I went there!
The kitty at the end ♥
Hey HG, love your content. I know how much you like doing aviation videos and I was thinking maybe you should cover SAS Flight 751? It's an amazing story with a happy ending showcasing even more amazing aviation skills but also sheds light on the metal strains pilots go through. Hope you consider it!
I was expecting Vanilla to have something to do with the cat.
Mr History Guy! I have some constructive feedback! I've been a super huge fan and long time watcher of your show. Something wasn't quite right with this video's audio. Every time there was a jump from video clips back to your office for narration the volume changed, and sometimes got a lot louder. Please make sure your post-production levels out the audio when changing clips.
Otherwise, great show and keep showing us the history we should remember!
A couple of years ago I found a sampler with vanilla ice cream with flavors from Mexico, Tahiti, and Madagaskar. That's when I realized "plain" vanilla isn't a blanket statement. OOOhh Vanilla Blankets....yum!
"The vanilla flavoring you have in your kitchen is prob not vanilla at all" < as somebody who has *never* used the synthetic stuff, I am offended sir :P
Yeah it's pretty easy to buy the real thing at the grocery store, it just costs more, especially recently.
What an educational episode. I always thought it came from the vanilla bean. It came from the vanilla fruit that looks like a bean.
Thanks
Bob
PS. Nice cat.
I (who have never had Bourbon whisky) had always assumed that "Bourbon Vanilla" meant that Bourbon flavouring was in there somewhere. I learned something new today! Thanks! 🙂👍
Thank you. Driving around the other day, I saw a rather large water tower. Made me wonder if there were any significant events or history that made them so ubiquitous.
I woulda bet the farm you were gonna mention vanilla-scented kitty litter
Fairway Jack, while ice fishing with tiny little maggot-like grub worms called "mousies" (they have a tail) for bait, I have noticed that either the mousies, or the wood shavings they are kept in at the bait store, smell like vanilla. Bluegills and perch love them. Perhaps I should eat one myself!?
As I listen I'm enjoying the aroma of a vanilla candle!
Bed beer and beyond is one helluva wake up.
@@derrekvanee4567 I was glad that I didn't have to light a match before leaving the lou! That's always a good thing!
Now that was edifying and refreshing. Smelling a shipload of vanilla beans arriving at port must have been quite a rush! 🌱,🌞🌱
Another delicious episode. As I usually frown 🤨 on flavoured whisky/whiskey, I will however recommend, the Canadian, 'J.P. Wisers Vanilla Whisky". It is smooth and balanced on the palate with a long finish, not overpowering with vanilla flavour or whisky. Just a well blended flavour from naturall ingredients. Thank you.
Excellent story! Absolutely love vanilla everything!!!
Keep up the excellent work!
Side note: the audio sounded a little odd at times throughout the video
In the late 70s, I visited Trinidad and Tobago. In a small food store, our group found vanilla extract for sale. We told the locals with us about our use of it in food. They thought this strange, as they used the vanilla as a perfume.
You're cat is awesome. Seems very laid-back.
Unless he is hungry...
My favorite flavor is vanilla .. the real vanilla. I keep a vanilla bean in my sugar, I keep a vanilla been in vodka. I LOVE VANILLA! Thank you for this .
Nice to see the History Cat again.
Random cat randomly getting random screen time.
Now I understand why vanilla is so expensive. Thank you History Guy
At several points in the video, the sound level suddenly changes. Might want to re-engineer with a more constant sound level. Thanks.
Vanilla has always been a favourite of mine. My mother used to add it to plain yoghurt when I was a kid. She'd sweeten and flavour a whole tub and serve it to us as a treat or for dessert. Even though she put in about 3 or 4 big spoons of sugar in, it was way less sugary than the commercially-flavoured yogurts.
I was almost sure he was going to say something like...."in fact...vanilla has become so ubiquitous that even hip-hop rappers and kittykats - are named after it." Thanks History Guy!
Love the B9 Robot in the background...
It’s amazing how complex a history most of our everyday food has.
The History Cat says, "Dad, I want to get down now!" ;-)
Great episode! Thanks.👍👍
Cat; "Let me knock some stuff off those shelves!"
I have vanilla orchids growing up my palms in Townsville in Far North Queensland Australia. Sadly, the beautiful flowers are too far up for me to reach. There are several Vanilla producers up here in the tropics.