Where to buy Vanilla?

[iancal]

Costco.

[irisdeane]

I found Mexican vanilla in a gift shop in Branson, of all places! And yes, it is far superior to anything here. You can find it in any Mexican grocery store in Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, etc.

 

 

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[happybooker1]

The best vanilla is manufactured in Papantla, Veracruz. That will be the company's address.

[Scooterpi]

I bought some in Nassau for my sister in one of the shops that is in that building you walk through to get to the taxis. She really liked it. I don't remember what kind it was other than I looked at the label to make sure it wasn't made in China or the US haha. I'm going to Cozumel in January and want to find some more for her.

[ready2cruzagain]

And it does NOT compare to Mexican Vanilla from Papantla, Veracruz. FYI: you only need 1/2 as much Mexican vanilla as USA or health-food-store "pure" vanilla. And once you taste it you will KNOW there's a difference.

 

I had a 750 ml bottle of vanilla I bought in '79 IIRC. It lasted through 3 marriages and divorces, half a dozen moves, saw the birth of my 2 kids, and still had about 3/4c. left in the bottle when I knocked it off the pantry shelf and broke it last year. I cried. But the pantry smelled great for about 6 months!

Thank you for the clarification. I never knew what the difference was and now I do.

 

Now my next question is, how do you know it is real? Have been reading and read lots of articles saying watch out, a lot of "fake" or "synthetic" vanilla is being sold in Mexico. I do see that you should buy Coumarin free vanilla due to Coumarin being toxic and Coumarin is used extensively in synthetic vanillas manufactured in Mexico. Also, the vanilla should contain no less than 35% alcohol. Anything else?

 

Any certain brand that is the real deal?

[irishnyc]

Some people are fine with the extract over the real deal.

 

I think you're confusing pure vanilla extract with imitation vanilla. Even the beloved Mexican vanilla is extract.

[SunshineBooks8]

Hi all my fellow cruiseres!

I was asked where to buy vanilla when we are not going to Mexico. We will be on the Breeze traveling to Nassau, Ocho Rios, and Grand Turk.

Can any one please help me?

Thanks to all the posters on this site who have helped me SO much over the years!

Pat

 

 

I don't know of any in the places you list but I do know I can buy this online:

http://www.loscincosoles.com/products/vanilla

 

 

Pretty good stuff

[Boozebabe]

What is special about the vanilla at these places?

 

If you've never used it you wouldn't understand. My family can tell when I use Mexican vanilla in my baking. I now have plenty on hand. It is amazing in taste. And incredibly inexpensive compared to vanilla we buy in the states in tiny bottles. I buy 16 oz. bottles for what it would cost me foe 3 oz. here at home. BIG bottles for $12.00

 

I have also made my own. That's not a cheap process unless you buy vanilla beans in bulk as I do for my baking.

 

Don't ever pass up the opportunity to get some Mexican vanilla. I have only purchased mine in Cozumel. Never saw it anywhere else.

[Boozebabe]

I've always bought vanilla at Los Cinco Soles in Cozumel pretty far down on the main drive. WONDERFUL!!

 

There is a Los Cinco Soles store right at the pier in Cozumel if you aren't going into town. Same prices.

[Grandmaanne7]

I always buy my pure vanilla in the Dominican Republic. All 4 of my daughters let me know when they are running low because they won't use anything else either. Because you use so little, it lasts a very long time. I won't say that I go All Inclusive to the DR just to buy my vanilla, but it seems to work out that we plan a trip when we are running low. Right now, we have plenty of vanilla as we were in Punta Cana last year so I have 2 cruises planned, neither of which stops in the Dominican.;)

[ready2cruzagain]

So, any suggestions of a safe brand?

[RWolver672]

I have read several postings on here about vanilla. They say to be safe, buy the vanilla with a picture of a rooster on the label. That supposedly is the safest brand.

 

The last time we were in Cozumel, I wanted to buy some for us and SIL who bakes wedding cakes. One of the stores that we looked at had vanilla in used plastic pop/soda bottles. Needless to say, we shyed away from those.

[vacruizer]

Los Cincos Soles in Cozumel has reputable vanilla and it's wonderful. A much richer flavor than any extract I can buy here and really makes baked goods wonderful. I've even been known to put a few drops over ice cream or in a coke for a treat, in French toast batter it's also wonderful. Even the scent of it is very different than the stuff you get at Costco - you smell the vanilla instead of the alcohol even though both have about the same percentage of it.

 

Before we ever cruised and discovered the real stuff, I fell victim to the fake, Coumarin laced, Mexican vanilla. A friend brought us a bottle from a trip to Mexico since she knew my husband likes to bake. The taste was just "off" to me - it never quite tasted or smelled like real vanilla to me. It was close - but not quite. I finally read about the fake stuff, realized that's what I had, and dumped it. It's actually illegal to sell in the U.S. due to the Coumarin being banned due to the health risks from it. I do sometimes see Coumarin sometimes listed in cosmetics that are vanilla scented like lotions and shower gels. Cheaper than using the real stuff for it.

[slidergirl]

It's all in the process, just as with many products. Take raspberry jam - so many brands, so many different tastes. Some may like that bulk jam they get in the gallon bottles at Costco, others may like the small-batch handmade stuff they get at the Farmer's Market.

The US has a minimum standard for vanilla extract- the ratio of vanilla bean to alcohol. How a company makes their extract, which alcohol they use, what quality bean, all determine the quality and taste of the product.

 

I'm not sure I'd buy my vanilla at a tourist stop in Mexico; maybe I'd wander off the track to one of their local supermarkets, though...

[caa]

If you don't want to carry liquid vanilla extract home all the way from Mexico or the Caribbean, La Vencedora sells theirs through Amazon. $12 for 31 oz.

 

The brand with the red rooster on the label is Danncy. They also have an Amazon store, $10 for 33 oz.

 

You can buy several varieties of vanilla beans online, from which it is trivially easy to make your own real vanilla extract. Just cut open the beans and soak in vodka for about 8 weeks. It keeps forever. One Amazon seller even has a world pack which includes vanilla beans from 3 countries.

 

I did bring some beans home from Tahiti last year (well really from Moorea), and they have a quite different flavor than my Mexican vanilla. It's not as strong and not quite as sweet, it's got a more rounded flavor if that makes sense.

[sail7seas]

We've bought in Santo Domingo and we've bought in Cozumel and around the Caribbean.....

 

the best I have bought is at Williams Sonoma.

 

[Ashland]

Hi all my fellow cruiseres!

I was asked where to buy vanilla when we are not going to Mexico. We will be on the Breeze traveling to Nassau, Ocho Rios, and Grand Turk.

Can any one please help me?

Thanks to all the posters on this site who have helped me SO much over the years!

Pat

Costco...their Kirkland brand real vanilla is very good and inexpensive...Just in case you need it and aren't going on a cruise.;)

[Keith1010]

None of the three you mentioned are known for their vanilla.

 

Keith