Scientific name: vanilla planifolia
Vanilla beans are the seed pods of a kind of orchid. When they are grown outside Mexico, they need to be pollinated by hand. Vanilla has a strong, aromatic smell and is used in many different sweets, particularly icecream. The part of vanilla that makes the flavour can also be made artificially, and is a lot cheaper than natural vanilla essense.
Veal is meat from a young cow, generally a milk-fed one that is less than three months old.
Vinegar is a liquid made from wine, in a process that turns the alcohol in the wine into acetic acid. Vinegar has a different flavour depending on what kind of wine was used to make it. Balsamic vinegar is very dark, rice wine vinegar is very light and apple cider vinegar is yellow.
Vinegar is used to make sauces like ketchup, to preserve fruits and vegetables by pickling, and to dress salads.
