Vanilla

In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Vanilla! The plant, the spice, the flavor, we cover it all. And, at the risk/certainty of making a very embarrassing and overdone joke, there is nothing "vanilla" about vanilla. Vanilla is the second-most expensive spice in the world (after saffron). It has to be hand-pollinated using a method discovered by a 12-year-old boy enslaved on an island off Madagascar. And the flower blooms for one day before it dies, a la Dennis the Menace, so if you miss that one day, you're out of luck - hence, the second-most expensive spice ever. It all starts with a fascinating legend from the Totonac people, which involves a princess and murder. Come along to Tahiti, Madagascar, and Indonesia! And stick around 'til the end for Thomas Jefferson's recipe for french vanilla ice cream brought directly from France! 

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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky

Music by Jake Radvansky