Is vanilla a fruit or a spice? And if it’s technically a fruit, why is it almost exclusively used as a spice or flavoring? What botanical part of the vanilla plant actually gives us the vanilla “bean” we use? How does the process of harvesting and curing vanilla contribute to its classification (or perceived classification) as a spice?
Answer
Vanilla is a spice. While vanilla beans are the fruit of the vanilla orchid (genus Vanilla), the term "vanilla" as it’s commonly used refers to the processed seed pods, which are used as a spice to flavor food and beverages.