about sweet

tráng miệng (refresh your mouth)

primary flavor profiles

https://ringhilterra.github.io/dessert-flavor-pairings/ gustatory

• sweet
• sour
• bitter
• salty
• umami
• piquant
• astringent

notes

berries—rubus¹

• pacific blackberry/dewberry (r. ursinus): native to pnw
  • parent of marionberry and boysenberry

chocolate

cocoa vs cacao

• cocoa
  • roasted at high temperature
  • sugar and dairy usually added
• cacao:
  • not roasted
  • fermented

dutch-process

powder vs bar vs nibs

vanilla

vanilla bean grades

• for the most part interchangeable
• grade a “gourmet”
  • higher moisture content
    • more easily absorbed into ingredients
    • more pliable → easier to work with
  • oilier skin
• grade b “extraction grade”
  • lower moisture content
    • more concentrated flavor in extract
    • paying less for water weight

vanilla bean varieties

• madagascar/bourbon—also grown in réunion and comoros²
  • most common
  • sweet, creamy, slightly smoky, rich
• tahitian
  • very common
  • fruity, floral, light
• mexican
  • floral, richer than madagascar, popular in savory dishes
• indonesian
  • sweet, smooth, mild
• ugandan
  • strong, robust, popular in savory dishes
• tongan
  • sweet, mellow, smooth, creamy, mild
• indian
  • woody, spicy, bold
• west indian/caribbean
  • sweet, floral, mild

extract vs. paste vs. powder

• extract has the lightest taste
• paste has the strongest taste, has spects
• powder doesn’t add moisture
• 1 vanilla bean ≡ 1 tbsp vanilla paste ≡ 1 tbsp vanilla powder ≡ 2 tbsp vanilla extract

how to make extract

for 250 g extract

• single fold: 6 (~17 g) split vanilla beans per 250 g alcohol (80 proof)
• double fold: 8 (~22 g) split vanilla beans per 250 g alcohol (80 proof)
• extraction time: at least 6 months, ≥ 12 months is best

how to make paste

for 500 ml paste³

• 16 (~44 g) vanilla beans
• 225 g sugar
• 160 g 80 proof alcohol
• 75 g water
• 40 g light corn syrup
  • or inverted sugar:⁴⁵ 700 g sugar, 300 g water, 7 g potassium citrate or 2.8 g citric acid + 3.2 g baking soda; heat to 113ºC then let cool
  • → 28 g sugar, 12 g water, 0.28 g potassium citrate
• 0.75 g xanthan or guar gum (for thick smooth consistency) blend everything on high except gum to fine sand consistency (2–3 min). blend in gum on low to incorporate (~30 s). store in airtight container RT indefinitely. paste will thicken over a month, but can be used immediately.

log

2026-08-08 used mexican vanilla beans, grade a

inspirations

https://ibakemistakes.substack.com https://elanneboake.substack.com/p/pandan-and-peanut-rice-cream https://scientificallysweet.com

Footnotes

1. https://berrynationusa.com/blackberry-complete-guide/#botanical-profile ↩

2. https://agriospice.com/a-guide-to-8-different-vanilla-bean-varieties-and-their-flavor-profiles/ ↩

3. https://gneissspice.com/pages/vanilla-paste-tutorial ↩

4. https://www.tomspatisserie.com/en/recetas/homemade-invert-sugar/ ↩

5. https://distilmate.com/blog/how-to-make-invert-sugar/ ↩