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Ten facts about vanilla from Pure Vanilla

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on Life in Luxury on 15th January 2013:

Pure Vanilla provides an in-depth guide to vanilla including its species, origins, history and tasting notes. The author, Shauna Sever, is an American baking blogger and former investigative journalist and TV presenter.

There are 85 recipes in the book, split into six chapters (breakfasts, cakes and pies, cookies and bars, candies and confections, custards and creams, drinks), across 160 pages.

Here are a few facts about vanilla from the book:

  1. The Totonac Indians were credited as the first to discover vanilla. They then introduced their techniques for working with vanilla to their conquerors the Aztecs.
  2. Vanilla was produced exclusively in Mexico until 1836 when the secrets of its pollination was discovered. Before then, though vanilla plants grew in other parts of the world where it was transplanted, pods were never produced.
  3. Edmond Albius, the twelve-year-old son of a slave on the island of Réunion is credited with discovering the method of hand pollination which is still used in vanilla production today.
  4. When the vanilla plant flowers, the farmers have just 12 hours to hand pollinate each bloom to produce the seed pods.
  5. After hand harvesting, the vanilla pods must be killed (to stop their development), sweated (stored in a high humidity-environment), dried and then conditioned (to allow flavours and aromas to develop).
  6. Where vanilla production is particularly competitive, such as in Madagascar, the pods might be branded or “tattooed” at the green-pod stage to identify the producer and secure ownership.
  7. Today, vanilla is the most widely used flavouring and ingredient in the world. It’s allegedly even more popular than chocolate.
  8. Americans are responsible for consuming roughly half of all vanilla produced globally. Most of it is in ice cream and soft drinks but it’s also used to scent products and perfumes.
  9. Extracts, pastes, powders and ground beans are best stored in dark-coloured, tightly capped jars. Whole beans should be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in a zip-top bag to retain moisture.
  10. Whole vanilla beans will keep for up to a year while extracts will keep for years. To revive dried vanilla pods, simply soak briefly in hot water.

Geneva Travel Guide: A City of the World

by Qin Xie | 1 Comment

Published on Bon Vivant on 11th December 2012:

It’s hard to pin down the kind of place Geneva is. A city of luxury? Certainly, some of the world’s most luxurious brands have a presence on its streets. A city of watches? Oh yes, it’s nothing less than the international home of haute horology. A city of science? Definitely – the most serious of nuclear research can be found at CERN. Then of course there are the countless NGOs (the UN, WHO, WTO just to name a few) with their headquarters in Geneva.

For a city so small, it’s certainly a city of the world. Let’s not forget, though, that it’s also a city full of life.

Mont Blanc, Geneva

Situated at the base of the Salève, Geneva is surrounded by the Alps and Jura mountains, offering boundless sporting opportunities all year round. Mountain sports aside, there are also plenty of water sports to be enjoyed on Lake Geneva including lake swimming and kitesurfing.

If shopping is as active as you want to get then there are plenty of choices in that department. Most of Geneva’s offerings are centred around Rue du Rhône and Rue du Marché where you will find the likes of Victorinox, Davidoff and, of course, Genevese watches. Café du Centre is an ideal stop for a post-shopping seafood lunch.

Culture, too, has its place in the city. The Grand Théâtre de Genève hosts operas, ballets and theatre while its huge exhibition space, Palexpo, is the ultimate concert venue. The philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, was born in the city while one of his most prominent contemporaries, Voltaire, also found home here.

Lord Byron had a lake-view house that lay adjacent to Mary Shelley’s home – the one where she wrote Frankenstein in fact.

Jet d'Eau, Geneva

It’s easy to see why these intellectuals were so inspired by Geneva when you stay at one of the waterfront hotels like Le Richmond and Hotel de la Paix, where you’ll be privy to the city’s postcard-perfect views. Of course, it’s even better to be out on the lake for a gourmet cruise where you can get up close with the jet d’eau (pictured above).

Don’t forget to wander around the old town, where you’ll find traces of Geneva’s rich history, from the Reformation to American Civil War Treaties. Or the city’s art district, where you will discover warehouse galleries and the Patek Philippe museum. And do take the tram to Carouge to embrace its bohemian refuge from the commercial Geneva with food markets, restaurants, bars and artisan shops.

With so many things to discover, it’s best to engage a guide; it’s surprisingly easy to miss the world’s longest bench and all of the city’s other hidden gems.

Longest bench, Geneva

Additional photos are available at Culture Explorer