I'm headed to the DR in a few months and am interested in getting some info on vanilla. I've been reading a few threads and mostly heared about extracted vanilla. Is whole bean vanilla avaliable there? What is clear or white vanilla? Is it a different bean/plant altogether? Any information about it would be great. I'll be spending about three days in Santo Domingo and just less than a week around Sosua. I'm thinking I'll have better luck finding whole bean in Santo Domingo's markets. Would it be more fresh on the North Coast? THANXS
- Thread starter palenque2012
- Start date
Vanilla?
If you find whole beans, please pot here!
In the Nacional Supermarket or most any decent sized market, for that matter, they sell both dark and white (clear) vanilla extract. Personally, I have never seen the whole beans. That DOES NOT mean that they don't exist here. I haven't really gone out looking for them.
If you find them let us know, please.
HB
In the Nacional Supermarket or most any decent sized market, for that matter, they sell both dark and white (clear) vanilla extract. Personally, I have never seen the whole beans. That DOES NOT mean that they don't exist here. I haven't really gone out looking for them.
If you find them let us know, please.
HB
no problem. If anybody knows what part of the contry it grows let me know.Hillbilly said:In the Nacional Supermarket or most any decent sized market, for that matter, they sell both dark and white (clear) vanilla extract. Personally, I have never seen the whole beans. That DOES NOT mean that they don't exist here. I haven't really gone out looking for them.
If you find them let us know, please.
HB
Could you tell me the main differance between the dark and the white extract? Is the flavor that much better with the white? I've never heard of or had the pleasure of tasting white vanilla. Looking forward to the new DR flavors out there. THANXHillbilly said:In the Nacional Supermarket or most any decent sized market, for that matter, they sell both dark and white (clear) vanilla extract. Personally, I have never seen the whole beans. That DOES NOT mean that they don't exist here. I haven't really gone out looking for them.
If you find them let us know, please.
HB
white vanilla doesn't alter the colour of what you are adding it to but the dark will. i make my own ice cream and the white vanilla keeps the ice cream white or pink if making strawberry.
i suppose if you tasted the vanilla straight out of the bottle you might find the dark a little stronger, but once it is in the icecream or cake i can't taste the difference.
the best vanilla i've tasted came from a company in Santiago, but on my last trip 2 years ago i couldn't find it and had to buy another brand that wasn't as good. the label on my favorite doesn't seem to have a company name but has the phone #583-7461, maybe HB could find out if they are still producing?
mob
i suppose if you tasted the vanilla straight out of the bottle you might find the dark a little stronger, but once it is in the icecream or cake i can't taste the difference.
the best vanilla i've tasted came from a company in Santiago, but on my last trip 2 years ago i couldn't find it and had to buy another brand that wasn't as good. the label on my favorite doesn't seem to have a company name but has the phone #583-7461, maybe HB could find out if they are still producing?
mob
Since Vanilla "Bean" is an agricultural product,you may not be able to:
Taake it back to the US,or other countries "legally"! It would be a shame to search all over,buy some,and have to leave it at customs!
Now,I have a lot of friends & family who are "Bakers" in the US. Last trip to Boston, I bought 3 or four big bottles of both types of vanilla to take back with me.They come in plactic bottles.Luckily I had left the vanilla in plastic bags to be packed the morning of my trip."They Leak!" I had to put them all in the "fridge" and leave them here! Next lime I will repackage them into glass bottles with a tight fitting top."Rum" bottles are almost as bad!My clothes smelled like rum and vanilla one trip back!
Taake it back to the US,or other countries "legally"! It would be a shame to search all over,buy some,and have to leave it at customs!
Now,I have a lot of friends & family who are "Bakers" in the US. Last trip to Boston, I bought 3 or four big bottles of both types of vanilla to take back with me.They come in plactic bottles.Luckily I had left the vanilla in plastic bags to be packed the morning of my trip."They Leak!" I had to put them all in the "fridge" and leave them here! Next lime I will repackage them into glass bottles with a tight fitting top."Rum" bottles are almost as bad!My clothes smelled like rum and vanilla one trip back!
Criss Colon said:
Thaks for the info. I'll bring some plastic bags with me. I thought about the legallities of it but i know bakers use dried beans to get the flavor without the alcohol. I think the might roast the bean too. If you can bring back coffee beans I don't see why you couldn't bring back vanilla bean. Anybody ever try? THANX
Most of the world's pure vanilla comes from the isolated island of Madascagar, off the south eastern coast of Africa. The plants bloom only once a year and it is a very arduous process to extract vanilla from the beans. I doubt seriously that you would find vanilla pods growing in the D.R.
palenque2012 said:
although i haven't tried bringing vanilla back to Canada, i have in the past brought other plant products back. as long as you indicate on your customs declaration that you are bringing a product in you are not doing anything illegal. not declaring it is illegal.
the problem you might run into is if this product is also grown in your home country. the concern is that disease could be introduced to the local crop from the RD product. the customs officer will ask what it is that you are bringing in and then decide if it is a restricted product. better yet check your government website before your trip to see what the restrictions are on bringing plant products into the country.
and to kingofdice the vanilla plant originated in Mexico, many Caribbean islands and Central America and was introduced to other tropical countries including Madagascar.
mob
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Great Info!!!
I'm rather sure that vanilla is a orchid. It is like a bromalaid(sp) in that it lives off of other plants or trees. I would assume that the vanilla extract that is in the DR isn't coming from plants that are growing wild or in peoples' back yards. There has got to be a region that has plantations or something??? I'm guessing at a higher altitude??? Any responses would be great. THANX
I'm rather sure that vanilla is a orchid. It is like a bromalaid(sp) in that it lives off of other plants or trees. I would assume that the vanilla extract that is in the DR isn't coming from plants that are growing wild or in peoples' back yards. There has got to be a region that has plantations or something??? I'm guessing at a higher altitude??? Any responses would be great. THANX
Vanilla questions
I recently brought some vanilla extract back to the USA from SD. I declared it on my customs form as an agricultural product so the customs people asked me about it, along with my DR coffe and rum. Once I told them what I had they said "no problem" and let me through. But my question is this: The vanilla from the DR seems a little different than what I usually buy in the USA. It seems a little less sweet and does not seem to be as "alchohol" based, and it is a lot less expensive. Does anyone know why? I must admit I don't know much about vanilla.
I recently brought some vanilla extract back to the USA from SD. I declared it on my customs form as an agricultural product so the customs people asked me about it, along with my DR coffe and rum. Once I told them what I had they said "no problem" and let me through. But my question is this: The vanilla from the DR seems a little different than what I usually buy in the USA. It seems a little less sweet and does not seem to be as "alchohol" based, and it is a lot less expensive. Does anyone know why? I must admit I don't know much about vanilla.
If you are interested it is very easy to make. It takes 6 months to brew. So if you start now.... Take about 5? vanilla pods and place them in a bottle. Add vodka. Close the bottle. Forget about it for 6 months.
It's not going to be clear though. It's going to be brown.
It's not going to be clear though. It's going to be brown.
You can purchase Dominican clear vanilla at any supermarket in Washington Heights.
You can buy the plant in the US, but it will take a long time and effort to get the first bean. I have two baby plants that I purchased last summer and they are the same size. My plan is to get propagation plants and plant them in the DR.
Looks like "WATER" in the Bottle, Not Coffee
Used in cooking where you want "vanilla" flavor,but NOT the dark color.
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Used in cooking where you want "vanilla" flavor,but NOT the dark color.
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Artificial Vanilla?
Could it be because it is artificial?
Real vanilla pods are somewhat expensive and I don't see Dominicans importing them to make a highly concentrated stuff and sell it cheaply...
m'frog
Could it be because it is artificial?
Real vanilla pods are somewhat expensive and I don't see Dominicans importing them to make a highly concentrated stuff and sell it cheaply...
m'frog
Back in 1991/92 all the Dominican vanilla I used to buy was known as 'natural' vanilla. It was not an alcohol extraction but rather a glycerin extract (hence the 'natural' labelling) and was one of the best vanilla's I've ever had. It was produced here in the Dr but over the years has become impossible to find (almost but I'm not giving away my source as it's too limited!!).
It could be produced more but since it is a labour intensive and time intensive activity I would surmise that it is just too much work for local growers to be bothered with it.
Too bad because it can be very lucrative!!
It could be produced more but since it is a labour intensive and time intensive activity I would surmise that it is just too much work for local growers to be bothered with it.
Too bad because it can be very lucrative!!