Vanilla extract is one of the most widely used flavourings in baking and dessert-making. Made from the cured seed pods of tropical vanilla orchids, it carries a complex, warm sweetness that goes far beyond simple sugar.
A few drops transform cakes, custards, biscuits, and ice cream. It pairs naturally with chocolate, caramel, and stone fruits, and adds depth to savoury dishes like sauces and glazes. Pure vanilla extract has a richer, more nuanced flavour than imitation vanilla, which is made from synthetic vanillin.
Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world after saffron, owing to the labour-intensive hand-pollination and months-long curing process required to develop its characteristic aroma.
How it's made
Nutrition (per 100g)
1 tsp is about 4.2 g — roughly 10 kcal of this.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →
Where it comes from
In the kitchen
Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →
Where this data comes from
USDA
SR Legacy
Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →
Where to next
Your household's take
One thumb per person, shared with your household — it steers what the wider-web shelf and the swap chips offer you. Tap again to take it back.
✎ Spotted something wrong? Suggest a correction
Checking who you are...