Well, in a TH-cam channel dedicated to unlikely war stories, nuclear near misses and the births of legends, this was certainly not a... vanilla episode of THG.
Chocolate. It is and has been resolved since before the creation of the universe and will remain so after its demise. There is a reason that chocoholic is a recognised word and vanillaholic is not.
Since almost all chocolate products also contain vanilla, the question is moot. Even plain vanilla ice cream tastes better with chocolate syrup or hot fudge on top. They go together like hamburgers and mustard or broccoli and cheese.
@@ltlbuddha And yet, vanilla remains the favorite ice cream flavor in the US, not to mention mine. Oh, and Mary Ann. Definitely. Excuse me, I have to run out and get some ice cream. I think I'll get butter pecan this time and avoid the controversy. This time.
Great episode. Vanilla is my second favorite ice cream flavor, after strawberry. However, it is the standard by which I judge ice cream brands. If your vanilla offering is not good, you're just masking poor quality with flavoring in other cases.
This certainly adds a new perspective. Makes me realise exactly why it's so expensive. I used to buy bulk vanilla beans to make my own extracts until it just got too darn expensive.
I never knew how complicated vanilla production was. I always use pure vanilla in all recipes, based on tastes. Artificial vanilla flavor (vanillin) sounds frightening after your description of what it is based on. Thanks for sharing your beautiful cat again. 🐈
Making vanilla extract is very simple (my great-great aunt "M", child 7 of 8, (born 1919) taught my grandmother how to make it, and we know that Aunt M learned from her mother "E" who was born in the 1870s. Just buy a large bottle (ours is 1.75L) of the cheapest vodka (or other flavorless alcohol) and some vanilla beans. Chop the beans (20-ish) up like carrot sticks, not too short, not too long and slice them lengthwise once, and let the bottle sit for a year (while you finish up the previous bottle) before you start to use it. It will look like molasses, but not thick. Just leave the beans in there and shake after every use (it will just get stronger and stronger) until your homemade extract nearly runs out, to a years-ish worth. One big bottle of hooch will literally have several years worth of legit vanilla extract, not the cheap fake stuff. You will even know where the beans came from. For us, (my parents and I) we are talking around 8-10 years worth of vanilla extract. The longer it sits the stronger it will be and when it starts to run out, you will have to use a spoon style coffee/tea strainer to remove the chopped vanilla beans/seeds, but that will be the strongest stuff. Just the cheap vodka is the same price as a couple of tiny bottles of the store-bought extract, so it will pay for itself pretty quick.
Thanks for this history - I always look forward to what's coming next on your channel. The quality of your work is exceeded only by its variety! I saw vanilla growing in Sri Lanka a few years ago. I wish I new this background story before I went there!
History Cat reminds me a lot of my late great ‘Tiberius’ Never will I meet again such a moody, cantankerous, demanding, obstinate, everything-on-my-terms creature. ‘Bibbs’ would spend much of his time dreaming up new ways to annoy me. He’d demand to have doors opened, rather than suffer the indignity of cat flaps. Would awaken me at 4am to tell me he wasn’t really hungry, but could probably manage a light snack. Tiberius had an infuriating ability to take up an entire bed, leaving me scrunched up on the edge. He’d run up and down the stairs JUST to keep me awake. He was a nightmare. And lived to be twenty years old. He died two years ago. And I miss him every day. ‘Tiberius Maximus’ deserves to be remembered
I've always believed that vanilla ice cream produced during the 70s was the reason that vanilla became synonymous with the word "bland." The first half of the decade was mired in inflation and everyone was 'freaking out' over the prices of virtually everything. We were all introduced the term "generic," and had to deal with cut-rate versions of many products, such as vanilla ice cream. A lot of which was so flavorless, I often referred to it as 'white' ice cream.
Many commercial users of real vanilla have well equipped analytical labs with spectrometers so sophisticated that they can determine where the pods were grown! (Candy makers paying for the best vanilla beans don't want the cheaper ones mixed in!) 🤓
Mr History Guy! I have some constructive feedback! I've been a super huge fan and long time watcher of your show. Something wasn't quite right with this video's audio. Every time there was a jump from video clips back to your office for narration the volume changed, and sometimes got a lot louder. Please make sure your post-production levels out the audio when changing clips. Otherwise, great show and keep showing us the history we should remember!
In the late 70s, I visited Trinidad and Tobago. In a small food store, our group found vanilla extract for sale. We told the locals with us about our use of it in food. They thought this strange, as they used the vanilla as a perfume.
My wife has the real thing. I went with her to purchase the Vanilla extract once. She never complains about the cost of my cigars anymore. Two hundred dollars a bottle.
Thank you. Driving around the other day, I saw a rather large water tower. Made me wonder if there were any significant events or history that made them so ubiquitous.
I've got to say Mr. History Guy, literally every single episode title of yours that pops up on my feed I want to jump up and pump my fist and exclaim, "Yes!!!! I'm not the only one who's heard of this and thinks it's cool!!!" Bravo.
Ikr. I was like "he's gonna at least mention that right?" ... Alas it was but a footnote, but as I understood it for some time that was a significant part of the supply ... Even affected the beaver population.
TOPIC SUGGESTION: The Dodge Land Wars. Beginning in Georgia during Reconstruction, the Dodge Land Wars lasted over 40 years and resulted in at least 50 deaths. There were approximately 300,000 timbered acres in dispute between various land squatters and the Dodge Land & Timber Company. There were assassinations, "coffee pot deeds," sabotaged log jams, spiked trees, murders, and ruthless Pinkerton Agents. A fictionalized account of the dispute, Lightwood, was published in 1939 by Agrarian novelist Brainard Cheney. Cheney was able to interview many of those involved in the conflict and his novel is said to be very accurate other than name changes. I suggest you read The Lightwood Chronicles, edited by Stephen Whigham, for the history of the events. This is the most complete account I have come across. With events that still resonate in Georgia to this day, this is little-reported history that deserves to be remembered. If you have questions, you may email me at thekencarroll@gmail.com. Ken Carroll
I always use Vanilla bean extract (not essence) in my biscuits and flapjacks. It's expensive and I use it liberally. No one has ever said these are not great tasting. I work by an old axiom, as in 'There's no such thing as too much cheese in a cheese sauce', and apply it everywhere. Baking is an expensive hobby for me. I now have a hankering to make dark chocolate cookies with orange flavouring. Can't eat them, though (my doctor won't allow) so I give them all away.
Fairway Jack, while ice fishing with tiny little maggot-like grub worms called "mousies" (they have a tail) for bait, I have noticed that either the mousies, or the wood shavings they are kept in at the bait store, smell like vanilla. Bluegills and perch love them. Perhaps I should eat one myself!?
I have vanilla orchids growing up my palms in Townsville in Far North Queensland Australia. Sadly, the beautiful flowers are too far up for me to reach. There are several Vanilla producers up here in the tropics.
Never knew how intensive it was to pollinate and how long the beans took to mature. That answers my long wondered question of why the beans are so pricey.
As per your suggestion, I would like to recommend the "Philippine insurrection" as a topic for The History Guy to cover. My grandfather gained his American citizenship after volunteering to fight with the United States during the Second World War. He often spoke to us grandchildren about the cruelties his family endured during the hostilities of the "Insurrection". Thank you, Sir, for all your excellent work!
I was almost sure he was going to say something like...."in fact...vanilla has become so ubiquitous that even hip-hop rappers and kittykats - are named after it." Thanks History Guy!
When my mom died, I cleaned out her house. She was a gourmet cook, and I took most of her kitchen. One of the things I have from her is $400 worth of vanilla bean, in a small plastic baggie. I haven't yet figured out what to do with it.
Vanilla can be poured on a flat plate and left in open air to evaporate in any room that has odor problems. It can even remove mousy musty odors of rodents....even in carpets spread by a vaccum cleaner which were operated over a soiled area.
Loved the episode. But I should point out that irregularities in the audio have become more frequent, alas. Some portions have a slight echo. Others, a background hum. Often, levels don't match.
II. Vanilla extract, being alcohol based was not allowed in lumber camps. My mother's family has run one for several generations, so after they left the business, she regarded vanilla as special. Which it is!
The broad use of artificial vanilla / vanillin is probably why vanilla became synonymous with ordinary or pedestrian. To me it's more of a perfume (baby powder-like) than an actual flavour now. The *taste* associated with vanilla foods are mainly the sugar and heavy cream like in a rich egg custard.
I think the History Cat would have liked an episode involving fisheries better! Hahahahaha! Stay safe and healthy out there! Thank you for sharing a part of your day with us!
Making vanilla extract is very simple (my great-great aunt "M", child 7 of 8, (born 1919) taught my grandmother how to make it, and we know that Aunt M learned from her mother "E" who was born in the 1870s. Just buy a large bottle of the cheapest vodka (or other flavorless alcohol) and some vanilla beans. Chop the beans up like carrot sticks, not too short, not too long and slice them lengthwise once, and let the bottle sit for a year (while you finish up the previous bottle) before you start to use it. Just leave the beans in there (it will just get stronger and stronger) until your homemade extract nearly runs out. You will literally have several years worth of legit vanilla extract, not the cheap fake stuff. For us, we are talking around 8-10 years worth of vanilla extract. The longer it sits the stronger it will be and when it starts to run out, you will have to use a spoon style coffee/tea strainer to remove the chopped vanilla beans, but that will be the strongest stuff.
I read years ago, probably as artificial vanilla flavoring was gaining popularity (yes, I belong to an older generation) that the proper pronunciation for the artificial flavoring is VANillin rather than the emphasis on the second syllable. The methods of producing vanillin remind me that white "vinegar" is produced from coal and carbon monoxide. I'm not sure that I want to eat anything containing artificial vanilla or white vinegar.
I was trying to figure out at the end whether you were going to mention the cat's name was vanilla or whether you were going to reveal that "the history guy" was simply a cover for the truth that you were really a Bond villain?
the cat is a sign...he's getting ready to retire...he's going to gradually hand over more and more of the show to the cat and one maybe two years from now, after some audience/screen tests, it'll be the cat with the mic
Thanks THG, most historians look at the exploitation of the Americas and point to the Conquistadores hunting for gold. They found enough to fund Spain's wars for the next 300 years but it was the foods that truly transformed the world to this day. They gave us not only vanilla, cumin, cayenne, etc, but also potatoes, corn, chocolate, and sweet potatoes! Now Spain has very little influence on the world except some countries that speak their language, almost everyone has corn and potatoes in their diet!
Hi HG, why don't you you do a story on the Bauple Nut (Macadamia sp) which is native to eastern Australia, extensively grown in Hawaii, but now the largest producer is South Africa..internationilazation of food or what ??.?
the quite decent "baking vanilla" artificial vanilla aromas that contain more than just vanillin, and which are decently available in the US, sadly are not a thing for consumers in Germany. Vanilla Extract can rarely be found in stores except imported from the US. Of course the German food industry uses tons of both, but for some reason it hasn't made its way to the consumer, so we are stuck with whole vanilla beans, ground vanilla beans, ground vanilla beans mixed with sugar, or pure vanillin diluted with sugar.
I've just realised that you change the contents of one of your shelves for each video, the Dalek was replaced wirh the Tardis and now the Star Trek (TOS) figures have made way for Batman and a strange green creature 👍
I wonder why no one talks about "why" vanilla is so popular. I feel the simple answer is that it tastes like mother's milk. Anyone who's had fresh whole milk can also confirm this.
Vanilla also works wonders cutting the smell of chicken from your hands after handling poultry. Try it the next time you have to cut up a whole chicken (cooked or uncooked).
My grandmothers brother; Orville, was a horticulturist and his favorite pastime was orchids. He had several greenhouses that he used for cultivation. In the corner of one he had several Vanilla Planifolia, the flat leafed, most common variety for commercial vanilla production. He dreamed of building a large enough operation to cultivate for US based production. Never happened, but from his small greenhouse plants my grandmother used to make Vanilla ice cream with her "secret family recipe". I have never tasted anything "vanilla" that came close. My dad used to say Rum was also a "secret" ingredient. LOL Thanks for that fond memory!
@ Randall Parker You are very fortunate. I've the the experience of eating vanilla ice cream made from the real thing and most people have no idea how artificial the commercial "vanilla" really is. I was taught to make the most of vanilla beans by burying them in a closed crock of sugar . The flavored sugar could then be used.
I used to be a purchasing agent for food manufacturing and spent a lot of time purchasing pure vanilla extract. Interestingly, today, even though vanilla originated in Mexico most pure vanilla does not come from Mexico. The most (and the best) Pure Vanilla extract comes from Madagascar with smaller amounts grown in Indonesia and Tahiti. Also there are strong taste differences between each area that produces pure vanilla as, the soils and climate has a profound affect on the resulting taste.
@@jdinhuntsvilleal4514 I put up the post before I heard him include that as part of his story. And, I include information not a part of his story. Relax, you will live longer without all the stress.
Um, I just read about the history of castoreum (curiosity killed the beaver, as they say in... nowhere). And it’s... honestly kind of interesting...........
Well, in a TH-cam channel dedicated to unlikely war stories, nuclear near misses and the births of legends, this was certainly not a... vanilla episode of THG.
Da history dude.... Spicing things up since 1964
@@derrekvanee4567 😂
@@TheManFromFUNCLE
...what?
haha! Check out the one on sliced bread, yup The History Guy made sliced bread interesting too.
@@TheManFromFUNCLE He was applauding THG, not knocking him. Read the comment again.
Even cats love history. Ours are are watching too.
Your seals need to work on their arc arcs
I must say, I love the episodes where THG's cat makes an appearance just little bit more than the average.
Do a history on catnip, love to see how the cat responds
@MrPitjoey Second.
@@bat2293
?mmm.mm?.........m.mmmm???mmm?mmmmmmmmmmm?
@@bat2293
?mmm.mm?.........m.mmmm???mmm?mmmmmmmmmmm?
@@bat2293
?mmm.mm?.........m.mmmm???mmm?mmmmmmmmmmm?
@@bat2293
?mmm.mm?.........m.mmmm???mmm?mmmmmmmmmmm?
Just what I needed, plain vanilla history.
I've had vanilla ice cream with vanilla seeds only once, and that stuff was delicious.
Why didn’t you keep eating it? I eat it fairly often.
Being a farmer's son I personally love the episodes about food, agriculture, and weather.
Chocolate vs Vanilla, Mary Ann vs. Ginger. Some things we'll never resolve, but we are a winner in either case.
Chocolate or Vanilla? BOTH!
Chocolate. It is and has been resolved since before the creation of the universe and will remain so after its demise.
There is a reason that chocoholic is a recognised word and vanillaholic is not.
Since almost all chocolate products also contain vanilla, the question is moot. Even plain vanilla ice cream tastes better with chocolate syrup or hot fudge on top. They go together like hamburgers and mustard or broccoli and cheese.
@@ltlbuddha And yet, vanilla remains the favorite ice cream flavor in the US, not to mention mine. Oh, and Mary Ann. Definitely.
Excuse me, I have to run out and get some ice cream. I think I'll get butter pecan this time and avoid the controversy. This time.
Strawberry begs to differ, and there will always be some "Neapolitan" to complicate the issue, ell-oh-ell.
Great episode. Vanilla is my second favorite ice cream flavor, after strawberry. However, it is the standard by which I judge ice cream brands. If your vanilla offering is not good, you're just masking poor quality with flavoring in other cases.
This certainly adds a new perspective. Makes me realise exactly why it's so expensive. I used to buy bulk vanilla beans to make my own extracts until it just got too darn expensive.
History Kitty looks especially cuddly today.
I never knew how complicated vanilla production was. I always use pure vanilla in all recipes, based on tastes. Artificial vanilla flavor (vanillin) sounds frightening after your description of what it is based on.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful cat again. 🐈
Making vanilla extract is very simple (my great-great aunt "M", child 7 of 8, (born 1919) taught my grandmother how to make it, and we know that Aunt M learned from her mother "E" who was born in the 1870s. Just buy a large bottle (ours is 1.75L) of the cheapest vodka (or other flavorless alcohol) and some vanilla beans. Chop the beans (20-ish) up like carrot sticks, not too short, not too long and slice them lengthwise once, and let the bottle sit for a year (while you finish up the previous bottle) before you start to use it. It will look like molasses, but not thick. Just leave the beans in there and shake after every use (it will just get stronger and stronger) until your homemade extract nearly runs out, to a years-ish worth. One big bottle of hooch will literally have several years worth of legit vanilla extract, not the cheap fake stuff. You will even know where the beans came from. For us, (my parents and I) we are talking around 8-10 years worth of vanilla extract. The longer it sits the stronger it will be and when it starts to run out, you will have to use a spoon style coffee/tea strainer to remove the chopped vanilla beans/seeds, but that will be the strongest stuff. Just the cheap vodka is the same price as a couple of tiny bottles of the store-bought extract, so it will pay for itself pretty quick.
@@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059
Thank you for sharing your recipe 😊
The history of Vanilla DESSERTS to be remembered. 😁
Thanks for this history - I always look forward to what's coming next on your channel. The quality of your work is exceeded only by its variety! I saw vanilla growing in Sri Lanka a few years ago. I wish I new this background story before I went there!
Another cameo visit from History Cat! And I didn't think that I could enjoy The History Guy more! Thanks for the informative episode, History Guy!
History Cat reminds me a lot of my late great ‘Tiberius’ Never will I meet again such a moody, cantankerous, demanding, obstinate, everything-on-my-terms creature. ‘Bibbs’ would spend much of his time dreaming up new ways to annoy me. He’d demand to have doors opened, rather than suffer the indignity of cat flaps. Would awaken me at 4am to tell me he wasn’t really hungry, but could probably manage a light snack. Tiberius had an infuriating ability to take up an entire bed, leaving me scrunched up on the edge. He’d run up and down the stairs JUST to keep me awake. He was a nightmare. And lived to be twenty years old. He died two years ago. And I miss him every day.
‘Tiberius Maximus’ deserves to be remembered
I've always believed that vanilla ice cream produced during the 70s was the reason that vanilla became synonymous with the word "bland." The first half of the decade was mired in inflation and everyone was 'freaking out' over the prices of virtually everything. We were all introduced the term "generic," and had to deal with cut-rate versions of many products, such as vanilla ice cream. A lot of which was so flavorless, I often referred to it as 'white' ice cream.
Many commercial users of real vanilla have well equipped analytical labs with spectrometers so sophisticated that they can determine where the pods were grown! (Candy makers paying for the best vanilla beans don't want the cheaper ones mixed in!) 🤓
A true vanillin observation
Another fun and insightful video... although it seemed like the normal good quality of audio mixing and levels was a bit off on this one.
Mr History Guy! I have some constructive feedback! I've been a super huge fan and long time watcher of your show. Something wasn't quite right with this video's audio. Every time there was a jump from video clips back to your office for narration the volume changed, and sometimes got a lot louder. Please make sure your post-production levels out the audio when changing clips.
Otherwise, great show and keep showing us the history we should remember!
In the late 70s, I visited Trinidad and Tobago. In a small food store, our group found vanilla extract for sale. We told the locals with us about our use of it in food. They thought this strange, as they used the vanilla as a perfume.
My wife has the real thing. I went with her to purchase the Vanilla extract once. She never complains about the cost of my cigars anymore. Two hundred dollars a bottle.
Thank you. Driving around the other day, I saw a rather large water tower. Made me wonder if there were any significant events or history that made them so ubiquitous.
I've got to say Mr. History Guy, literally every single episode title of yours that pops up on my feed I want to jump up and pump my fist and exclaim, "Yes!!!! I'm not the only one who's heard of this and thinks it's cool!!!" Bravo.
Now that was edifying and refreshing. Smelling a shipload of vanilla beans arriving at port must have been quite a rush! 🌱,🌞🌱
Random cat randomly getting random screen time.
As soon as I saw The History Cat making an appearance, I knew the majority of comments would be about him.
Such an interesting story! Thank you!
As I listen I'm enjoying the aroma of a vanilla candle!
Bed beer and beyond is one helluva wake up.
@@derrekvanee4567 I was glad that I didn't have to light a match before leaving the lou! That's always a good thing!
I knew that I wouldn't make it through this video without you mentioning beaver butts.☺
Ikr. I was like "he's gonna at least mention that right?" ... Alas it was but a footnote, but as I understood it for some time that was a significant part of the supply ... Even affected the beaver population.
TOPIC SUGGESTION: The Dodge Land Wars. Beginning in Georgia during Reconstruction, the Dodge Land Wars lasted over 40 years and resulted in at least 50 deaths. There were approximately 300,000 timbered acres in dispute between various land squatters and the Dodge Land & Timber Company. There were assassinations, "coffee pot deeds," sabotaged log jams, spiked trees, murders, and ruthless Pinkerton Agents.
A fictionalized account of the dispute, Lightwood, was published in 1939 by Agrarian novelist Brainard Cheney. Cheney was able to interview many of those involved in the conflict and his novel is said to be very accurate other than name changes. I suggest you read The Lightwood Chronicles, edited by Stephen Whigham, for the history of the events. This is the most complete account I have come across.
With events that still resonate in Georgia to this day, this is little-reported history that deserves to be remembered.
If you have questions, you may email me at thekencarroll@gmail.com.
Ken Carroll
I’ll never forget the first time I had a Vanilla Coke. Life changing.
I miss it
I always use Vanilla bean extract (not essence) in my biscuits and flapjacks. It's expensive and I use it liberally.
No one has ever said these are not great tasting.
I work by an old axiom, as in 'There's no such thing as too much cheese in a cheese sauce', and apply it everywhere.
Baking is an expensive hobby for me. I now have a hankering to make dark chocolate cookies with orange flavouring. Can't eat them, though (my doctor won't allow) so I give them all away.
I use it in my pancake and French toast batter. Only the real thing. No essence of beaver butt.
I woulda bet the farm you were gonna mention vanilla-scented kitty litter
Fairway Jack, while ice fishing with tiny little maggot-like grub worms called "mousies" (they have a tail) for bait, I have noticed that either the mousies, or the wood shavings they are kept in at the bait store, smell like vanilla. Bluegills and perch love them. Perhaps I should eat one myself!?
Cat; "Let me knock some stuff off those shelves!"
I have vanilla orchids growing up my palms in Townsville in Far North Queensland Australia. Sadly, the beautiful flowers are too far up for me to reach. There are several Vanilla producers up here in the tropics.
Nice! Very Nice! Makes me want to make my own Vanilla with the bean and alcohol.
Vanilla may be around to stay, but your kitty wants to go...
The etymology of the word vanilla is interesting :)
The History Cat says, "Dad, I want to get down now!" ;-)
Never knew how intensive it was to pollinate and how long the beans took to mature. That answers my long wondered question of why the beans are so pricey.
Very good episode as always but are you having audio issues? The audio was not as smooth in volume transition from voiceover to live as usual.
As per your suggestion, I would like to recommend the "Philippine insurrection" as a topic for The History Guy to cover. My grandfather gained his American citizenship after volunteering to fight with the United States during the Second World War. He often spoke to us grandchildren about the cruelties his family endured during the hostilities of the "Insurrection". Thank you, Sir, for all your excellent work!
I was almost sure he was going to say something like...."in fact...vanilla has become so ubiquitous that even hip-hop rappers and kittykats - are named after it." Thanks History Guy!
Where did you find a cat whose fur won't stick to a dark suit?
Audio levels are all over the place in this video.
Only video I've every seen with a 1000/0 ratio, good stuff
When my mom died, I cleaned out her house. She was a gourmet cook, and I took most of her kitchen. One of the things I have from her is $400 worth of vanilla bean, in a small plastic baggie. I haven't yet figured out what to do with it.
THK - The History Kitty.
Vanilla can be poured on a flat plate and left in open air to evaporate in any room that has odor problems. It can even remove mousy musty odors of rodents....even in carpets spread by a vaccum cleaner which were operated over a soiled area.
Loved the episode. But I should point out that irregularities in the audio have become more frequent, alas. Some portions have a slight echo. Others, a background hum. Often, levels don't match.
Good job Moran.
Very interesting. Thanks!
Vanilla goes with everything. I love it. Also, I want more History Cat videos!
II. Vanilla extract, being alcohol based was not allowed in lumber camps. My mother's family has run one for several generations, so after they left the business, she regarded vanilla as special. Which it is!
Would love a segment about submarines attacking aircraft carriers, Thankyou for your wonderful reports. God Bless
A suggestion, the taxes leveled against Whisky and how it caused Bourbon to be made.
Great show today! Though I expected your bow tie to be more vanilla for such a topic😁!
The broad use of artificial vanilla / vanillin is probably why vanilla became synonymous with ordinary or pedestrian. To me it's more of a perfume (baby powder-like) than an actual flavour now. The *taste* associated with vanilla foods are mainly the sugar and heavy cream like in a rich egg custard.
I hate it when vanilla is used to describe something that boring, plain or mundane. Vanilla is a very complex and unique flavour, it is not generic!
Thanks!
I never knew that vanilla is a type of orchid. This is why we love The History Guy!
A tasty episode, THG.
Nice to see the History Cat too.
💜
More like this please
I think the History Cat would have liked an episode involving fisheries better! Hahahahaha! Stay safe and healthy out there! Thank you for sharing a part of your day with us!
Whilst we do have a bottle of synthetic vanilla in the cabinet, normally my wife uses only natural vanilla extract. It is, however, VERY expensive!
Hello The History Cat!
Holy Crap! I never knew until now. TY
Making vanilla extract is very simple (my great-great aunt "M", child 7 of 8, (born 1919) taught my grandmother how to make it, and we know that Aunt M learned from her mother "E" who was born in the 1870s. Just buy a large bottle of the cheapest vodka (or other flavorless alcohol) and some vanilla beans. Chop the beans up like carrot sticks, not too short, not too long and slice them lengthwise once, and let the bottle sit for a year (while you finish up the previous bottle) before you start to use it. Just leave the beans in there (it will just get stronger and stronger) until your homemade extract nearly runs out. You will literally have several years worth of legit vanilla extract, not the cheap fake stuff. For us, we are talking around 8-10 years worth of vanilla extract. The longer it sits the stronger it will be and when it starts to run out, you will have to use a spoon style coffee/tea strainer to remove the chopped vanilla beans, but that will be the strongest stuff.
I read years ago, probably as artificial vanilla flavoring was gaining popularity (yes, I belong to an older generation) that the proper pronunciation for the artificial flavoring is VANillin rather than the emphasis on the second syllable.
The methods of producing vanillin remind me that white "vinegar" is produced from coal and carbon monoxide. I'm not sure that I want to eat anything containing artificial vanilla or white vinegar.
Thanks
Early in US history it was a common practice for pioneer women to use vanilla as perfume. A scent I find quite alluring.
I was trying to figure out at the end whether you were going to mention the cat's name was vanilla or whether you were going to reveal that "the history guy" was simply a cover for the truth that you were really a Bond villain?
History of pharmaceuticals would probably be interesting
I like your Tabby cat! 🐈
I love your channel
Never knew most of that! Who knew vanilla would be so interesting.
Yay for the History Cat.
That was excellent!....Nice cat.
I watch this while eating vanilla ice cream on top of a slice of my caramel birthday cake.
the cat is a sign...he's getting ready to retire...he's going to gradually hand over more and more of the show to the cat and one maybe two years from now, after some audience/screen tests, it'll be the cat with the mic
Thanks THG, most historians look at the exploitation of the Americas and point to the Conquistadores hunting for gold. They found enough to fund Spain's wars for the next 300 years but it was the foods that truly transformed the world to this day. They gave us not only vanilla, cumin, cayenne, etc, but also potatoes, corn, chocolate, and sweet potatoes!
Now Spain has very little influence on the world except some countries that speak their language, almost everyone has corn and potatoes in their diet!
I saw you on the history channel! Hoooo!
All this talk about beavers and their butts reminds me of Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver by Primus.
Hi HG,
why don't you you do a story on the Bauple Nut (Macadamia sp) which is native to eastern Australia, extensively grown in Hawaii, but now the largest producer is South Africa..internationilazation of food or what ??.?
My audio changes throughout video
the quite decent "baking vanilla" artificial vanilla aromas that contain more than just vanillin, and which are decently available in the US, sadly are not a thing for consumers in Germany. Vanilla Extract can rarely be found in stores except imported from the US.
Of course the German food industry uses tons of both, but for some reason it hasn't made its way to the consumer, so we are stuck with whole vanilla beans, ground vanilla beans, ground vanilla beans mixed with sugar, or pure vanillin diluted with sugar.
Make your own: Whole vanilla beans immersed in vodka for about two weeks become vanilla extract! 🤷🏼♀️
I see you are with your cat "Vanilla". Good name for a cat.
The audio volume is very inconsistent :-(
I've just realised that you change the contents of one of your shelves for each video, the Dalek was replaced wirh the Tardis and now the Star Trek (TOS) figures have made way for Batman and a strange green creature 👍
Do'h ... you're right ... I thought it was Darth Vader and C3PO (weird lighting making it look green)
I was expecting him to serve the cat a dish of vanilla ice cream!
I wonder why no one talks about "why" vanilla is so popular. I feel the simple answer is that it tastes like mother's milk. Anyone who's had fresh whole milk can also confirm this.
Audio levels were a bit topsy turvy in this vid. Were you in a rush?
All true creative geniuses have cats.
Vanilla also works wonders cutting the smell of chicken from your hands after handling poultry. Try it the next time you have to cut up a whole chicken (cooked or uncooked).
Greeks use lemon to remove the smell of fish from their hands.
@@goodun2974 thanks, I'll try that next time.
Cat keeps stepping on the keyboard... might as well add him to the video
History cat loves making a cameo appearance .
Not so much in this one it seemed.
Obviously it deserves pets!
Cat-meow = Cameo?
I've seen him in a coupe of the recent videos. Needs to get his celebrity on, I guess.
Would've made more sense if it was a beaver ... "It's anything butt" (8:48)
As a Pastry Chef, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my Vanilla loving heart for this episode.
My grandmothers brother; Orville, was a horticulturist and his favorite pastime was orchids. He had several greenhouses that he used for cultivation. In the corner of one he had several Vanilla Planifolia, the flat leafed, most common variety for commercial vanilla production. He dreamed of building a large enough operation to cultivate for US based production. Never happened, but from his small greenhouse plants my grandmother used to make Vanilla ice cream with her "secret family recipe". I have never tasted anything "vanilla" that came close. My dad used to say Rum was also a "secret" ingredient. LOL Thanks for that fond memory!
@ Randall Parker You are very fortunate. I've the the experience of eating vanilla ice cream made from the real thing and most people have no idea how artificial the commercial "vanilla" really is. I was taught to make the most of vanilla beans by burying them in a closed crock of sugar . The flavored sugar could then be used.
Yum!
Vanilla and rum are ingredients in several desserts. It mixes well.
I used to be a purchasing agent for food manufacturing and spent a lot of time purchasing pure vanilla extract. Interestingly, today, even though vanilla originated in Mexico most pure vanilla does not come from Mexico. The most (and the best) Pure Vanilla extract comes from Madagascar with smaller amounts grown in Indonesia and Tahiti. Also there are strong taste differences between each area that produces pure vanilla as, the soils and climate has a profound affect on the resulting taste.
My wife says she is only interested in Madagascar vanilla. She makes good stuff with it, so who am I to argue?
We in Canada prefer the beaver butt stuff.
@@davidaustin6962 Beavers have nice flavor.
"The most (and the best) Pure Vanilla extract comes from Madagascar "
Gee, if only THG had mentioned that. 9-9
@@jdinhuntsvilleal4514 I put up the post before I heard him include that as part of his story. And, I include information not a part of his story. Relax, you will live longer without all the stress.
“Hey, this beaver’s butt tastes like vanilla!” Could it be that the discovery of castoreum is history *NOT* worth remembering???
Why would you even be looking there?
Um, I just read about the history of castoreum (curiosity killed the beaver, as they say in... nowhere). And it’s... honestly kind of interesting...........
Would it be out of line to say that certain desserts do, in fact, taste like ass?
@@DWilliam1 Whenever I hear information like this, it makes me wonder just how the discovery was made.
@@onliwankannoli I didn’t mean you, I meant the people who discovered it. Should have worded my response better.