Vanilla enhances creamy porridge and is derived from the seductively aromatic vanilla bean. Vanilla beans are actually the cigar-shaped seedpod from a fragrant climbing orchid native to tropical America. 

These orchid flowers open once a year and must be hand pollinated since the Melipona bee could never pollinate enough orchids for commercial use. The green seed pod must be hand picked and then boiled. After several months of heating vanilla beans in the sun and wrapping them in blankets at night, they become thin and dark. 

The extract is then made by soaking chopped vanilla beans in an alcohol/water solution. It takes about 100 beans to make 1 gallon of extract. If you prefer to use a vanilla bean, place a small piece in the porridge and remove before serving.

Porridge

    2 cups fat-free milk
    Pinch salt
    1 teaspoon butter
    ½ cup One Minute Cream of Wheat
    2 drops vanilla extract
 
    Butter
    Granulated sugar or dark brown sugar
    Milk or half-and-half

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the milk, salt, butter, Cream of Wheat
    and vanilla over medium heat. Stir with a whisk until large bubbles
    pop on the surface or for about 4–6 minutes.

2. Serve several large spoonfuls of porridge topped with butter,
    sugar and milk or half-and-half.

    Variation: Use 1 cup evaporated milk and 1 cup water in place
    of the 2 cups fat-free milk.

      Makes 2 servings

Book about Vanilla

The History of the Exotic Vanilla Orchid, March 25, 2009