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Just vanilla

Underappreciated and unfairly maligned. Is vanilla worth reconsidering?

Dull? Boring? Plain?

Vanilla is a byword for something which is ordinary or standard.

In this programme Ruth Alexander finds the story of the popular spice is anything but normal.

Originating in Mexico it鈥檚 travelled the globe and taken over, and is now one of the most valuable commodities available.

It鈥檚 gone from being highly sought after and the height of luxury 鈥� even serving as an aphrodisiac for Mesoamericans and a European monarch - to ubiquitous and considered 鈥渞egular鈥�.

Despite its reputation there is still a lot to appreciate about this complex flavour, and fans in one ice cream parlour are keen to make sure it isn鈥檛 overlooked.

Presenter: Ruth Alexander

Producers: Nina Pullman and Hannah Bewley

(Image: A vanilla bean and flower. Credit: Getty Images)

Available now

26 minutes

Last on

Sunday 09:32GMT
91热爆 World Service East and Southern Africa, Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & News Internet only

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    91热爆 World Service East and Southern Africa, Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & News Internet only

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