The taste of vanilla

Vanilla has become very commonplace, and is everywhere, but often in the form of flavoring. As a result, we no longer know exactly what it tastes like. Pastry chefs, meanwhile, are looking for the best beans to flavor their creations.

Matthieu Carlin, head pastry chef at the Hôtel de Crillon, tells us more. He uses three varieties, including Tahitian, which he loves for its depth and generous aromas. "To showcase the full range of flavors of this spice, I imagined a deconstructed millefeuille served à l'assiette in the gourmet restaurant, in which I use three vanillas, from Tahiti, Madagascar and Mexico." For the tasting, the order is important. We start with the piquant, woody Madagascar vanilla, presented in a half-pod containing a vanilla caviar, followed by a floral Mexican vanilla cream. We finish with a Tahitian vanilla millefeuille, comforting and generous. "Because it's so concentrated in flavor, I recommend starting with the pod to create a break with savory dishes. It creates a real uppercut of flavors."

The chef also uses them in infusions to flavor creams or milk. "To take full advantage of their aromas, infusion should start hot and continue for twelve hours in the fridge."Used-up pods, i.e. those that have already been used, are collected, dehydrated and then reduced to a paste.They are then dehydrated and ground to a powder before being used to subtly flavor a paste. We'll keep that in mind! For the record, the price of vanilla has overtaken that of truffles. It is now considered the most expensive spice after saffron. To discover its bewitching taste, let's indulge in a few tastings...

Vanilla cake, Matthieu Carlin, Paris

A cake like few others. The cookie is flavored with Madagascar vanilla, then covered with a melting Tahitian vanilla ganache trapped under a thin shell of white chocolate. "Thecombination of the two varieties amplifies the fragrance of this cake. I enrich the dough with a vanilla syrup to season and add softness. I add a few sticks of roasted almond with fleur de sel for a crunchy touch." We melt for this ultra-balanced, dense and melting cake, whose generous slices are an invitation to indulge.

• Pâtisserie Butterfly. 6, rue Boissy-d'Anglas, 75008 Paris.

"Tarte Infiniment Vanille", Pierre Hermé, Paris

It's impossible to talk about vanilla without mentioning the "Tarte Infiniment Vanille". "Tahitian vanilla provides an intense, exuberant base note, Mexican vanilla a floral note and Madagascar vanilla a woodynote. Recognizable among a thousand, this "homemade" taste is one of a kind.

We love the three textures of this tart: the almond cookie that brings out the perfume of the trio, the vanilla cream that adds smoothness and creaminess, and the second cream that exalts the freshness of the spice. Try it with a glass of Sauternes!

• 53-57, rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris.
• www.pier reherme.com

"Beggar's marshmallow with 3 vanillas, Pierre Marcolini, Paris

This summer, Pierre Marcolini launches a collection based on vanilla. Let yourself be carried away by these marshmallows, a nod to the Belgian melo-cake... Three generous chocolate-covered morsels, including the "Guimauve Mendiant"flavored with three vanillas - New Caledonia, Tahiti and Reunion blue vanilla - and enriched with toasted rice, cocoa nibs, pistachio and nougat. A sweetness that will melt your heart.

• 5, rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, 75004 Paris.
• www.eu.m arcolini.com

Vanilla ice cream, Maison Dézamy, Biarritz

A successful conversion to Italian ice cream for Sara and Guillaume. The idea of these two epicureans? To combine Italian know-how with the traditions of French ice-cream making. "We buy from the Bastidarra dairy, a family-run business in the Basque country, and from Normandy for the cream. Our vanilla comes from Madagascar, and we infuse only the beans, for 24 to 36 hours. With just 8% fat, we've succeeded in making a very creamy, smooth ice cream."

As for the flavors, we let ourselves be carried away by the woody and powerful notes of spices, the roundness of warm milk, a delicacy to be savored. Che piacere!

• 11, rue des Halles, 64200 Biarritz.
• www.mais on-dezamy.fr

Chiffon cake vanille, Mathieu Kamm, Sélestat

Are you familiar with chiffon cake, a cake of Japanese origin with a texture as light as a feather? Mathieu Kamm offers a very personal interpretation. "I first tasted it in Japan, at my in-laws' house. Back in France, I came up with a version by flavoring the dough with vanilla and inserting two layers of Madagascar vanilla ganache."

While the rocher-like cookie may appear dense, it's a very different story when you taste it. You'll be surprised by its softness, honeycombed texture, lightness and intense vanilla flavor. A detour to Alsace is in order...

• 15, rue des Clefs, 67600 Sélestat
• www.pati sserie-kamm.fr