* Vanilla Planifolia * Non-Irradiated It"s hard to imagine a kitchen void of vanilla. Its full, rich, universally popular taste and enticing aroma is irreplaceable in cookies, cakes, custards, ice creams-- almost every conceivable sweet-- and a few savory dishes, too. To use the bean, slice it lengthwise to expose the seeds (which contain most of the fragrance and flavor). Some recipes suggest scraping out the seeds, others direct you to use the whole slit pod. You can also grind the seed for use. To substitute whole beans for vanilla extract, use about one inch of the bean for each teaspoon of the extract. Native to Mexico, today"s main varieties come from Mexico, Madagascar, Reunion Island (Vanilla planifolia) and Tahiti (Vanilla tahitensis). Bourbon beans are from Madagascar.