39
FOOD
making carbs count
Nutrition
A 1 teaspoon (4.2g) contains:
12 calories
0.5g carbs (all of which
are sugars)
Traces of potassium and
magnesium
Zero fat or protein
Endangered
Unfortunately, the vanilla pod has
the very real threat of becoming
extinct. Most vanilla is grown in
Madagascar, which puts it at highrisk due to environmental
factors
such as storms and drought. Having
won a Queen's Award for Sustainable
Development, LittlePod created the
'Campaign for Real Vanilla,' and its
products produced are a vehicle
to allow the company to work on
community projects in Madagascar
and Indonesia, supporting farmers
and families in these areas.
LittlePod is owned and operated
by Janet Sawyer MBE BEM, who
set up the company to promote
the use of real vanilla, to help the
communities which rely on its
cultivation, and conserve the fragile
ecosystems in which pure vanilla
is grown. She believes that vanilla
is an ideal crop for subsistence
farmers. The non-invasive farming
techniques needed for cultivation
are both nature friendly and are also
cost effective as they do not require
investment in harmful ground
clearance or other destructive and
expensive agricultural methods.
Sawyer says, "Nothing beats the
flavour of real vanilla to bring exotic
flavour to everyday dishes. Whilst it
is one of the most universally loved
flavours, 97% of all vanilla sold in the
west is synthetic and doesn't contain
a single molecule gleaned from the
vanilla pod."
LittlePod produces Natural Vanilla
Paste in a squeezy tube to make
using real vanilla as convenient as
possible, while helping to conserve
this extraordinary crop. Packed full of
more than 250 wellbeing compounds,
the complex flavour and intensity of
pure vanilla is impossible to replicate.
On a mission
Sawyer set up LittlePod 12 years ago
in order to promote the use of real
vanilla, help the communities which
rely on its cultivation, and conserve
the fragile ecosystems in which pure
vanilla is grown. Determined to make
pure vanilla as convenient to use as
tomato paste, she commissioned
the formulation of natural vanilla
bean paste in a tube to reduce the
hassle and wastage of sourcing and
scraping pods.
One tube of LittlePod Natural
Vanilla Paste contains the equivalent
of 20 vanilla pods seeds, and one
teaspoon of it equals one pod. It can
be kept in a cool cupboard for up to
two years. In the kitchen, you can
hold the tube in one hand and easily
squeeze out the exact quantity you
require. The intense viscosity of the
Natural Vanilla Paste reduces its
evaporation when heated, so it also
leaves a more intense flavour than
vanilla extract.
The flavour of real vanilla far
surpasses anything synthetic. It adds
a layer of complexity to dishes and
can round off savoury, bitter and
spicy flavours. Aromatic vanilla also
complements other ingredients,
enhancing the ping of a pea,
balancing acidity in tomatoes and
adding a comforting note to dairy.
LittlePod Natural Vanilla Paste
100ml is vegan, kosher and gluten
free, RRP £15. Other products in the
range include Organic Madagascan
Bourbon Vanilla Pods, Pure Vanilla
Extract, Coffee Extract and
Chocolate Extract. Ten percent from
all online orders goes to community
projects in the vanilla-growing region
of Madagascar.
www.littlepod.co.uk,
LittlePod and Peter Gorton have
created a series of recipes using
LittlePod's real vanilla, all of which
are on the company's main website.
Gorton is Vice Chair of the Master
Chefs of Great Britain and has three
published books. See overleaf for
his recipe, Galette of Scallops and
Courgettes With a Red Pepper,
Chocolate and Vanilla Dressing,
CLICK HERE. Janet Sawyer MBE BEM.