Read - Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchid

by Tim Ecott

For dreaming of: Madagascar, Tahiti, and Mexico

Novel

If you’re a gastronome, or if you’re a botany-fanatic – and you love exotic travel, this read might be a perfect fit. Part history, part storytelling, this author takes us on a journey that is all about the vanilla bean: its origins, its habitat, its coveted status as one of the world’s most prized ingredients. Yet, to call something “vanilla” is to call it boring or plain – ironic given that it is only grown in a few exotic and remote parts of the world. Whether from Madagascar, Mauritius, or the Seychelles, from French Polynesia, or from Mexico, vanilla comes from a delicate orchid that must be carefully pollinated for the bean to grow. From there, it's a lucrative market from grower to kitchen–with money changing hands as though it were an illicit trade. Once you read this, you’ll never under-appreciate this divine flavor again; and you certainly won’t consider it boring.

Available at your local, independent bookstore.

Photo Source: Grove Press

Syllogi’s ‘Musings’ is a series helping you paint a picture of a destination while traveling from your living room. From relevant books and articles, inspiring movies and tv shows, to songs and even treats and dishes, our goal is to curate a sensory experience that will prepare you for an upcoming trip, reminiscence on adventures past, or simply to envision a place that exists in your bucket list fantasies.