06/27/2026
Time for a history lesson. Anytime someone uses the phrase "plain vanilla," as if it somehow means boring or unoriginal, I kind of laugh to myself. Apparently, most don't know the real history of vanilla.
For starters, it's the second most expensive spice in the world ( #1 is saffron). Vanilla is the only edible fruit out of 35,000 species of orchid. Frankly, it's a statistical miracle. It requires a special tropical climate to grow, and each flower blooms for, wait for it... one day.
Pound for pound, vanilla seeds are worth more than silver.
Historically, only kings could afford such a rare delicacy as vanilla.
Not to mention the invention of ice cream itself, which would have required sending an expedition to the mountains to bring back ice during a hot summer. And yet here I am, casually enjoying this frozen dessert flavored with one of the world's most miraculous spices. 🍦
You may call it "plain vanilla." I call it a miracle.
Modern life is pretty amazing if you have an attitude of gratitude. 🙂
- Claudia
P.S. Is there anything better than an ice cream cone from Azucar Ice Cream - South - Pinecrest? Rhetorical question... no, there's not.
