Vanilla bean is prized for its sweet subtle flavor. At McCormick, we source our vanilla beans from Madagascar, considered by bakers to be the finest in the world. It’s indispensable for richly flavored ice cream, cakes and custards. Vanilla beans are grown from orchid flowers on a vine that takes three years to fully mature. The flowers are hand pollinated on the day the orchid blooms to ensure a healthy crop of beans months later. The harvested beans are cured for several months to develop a deep, rich flavor. To use, split the bean and scrape the seeds into your desserts to infuse them with sweet, subtle flavor and vanilla’s signature speckles. Anything but plain, vanilla bean brings the pure flavor of authentic vanilla to your recipes.