Baked with vermouth and vanilla until they pop, these syrupy vanilla bean-roasted grapes are divine over yogurt or oatmeal—or topped with soft whipped cream. Opt for a Mexican pod for its signature spicy punch.

Featured in “Why True Vanilla Is Worth the Splurge” by Rebecca Firkser in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue. See more recipes and stories from Issue 205.

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A riff on camote ­enmielado—Mexican candied sweet potato, a popular street food—this rustic vanilla sweet potato galette recipe uses spiced vanilla syrup for both poaching and drizzling. The recipe makes two crusts but only requires one; freeze one for next time, letting it thaw in the fridge before rolling.

Featured in “Why True Vanilla Is Worth the Splurge” by Rebecca Firkser in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue. See more recipes and stories from Issue 205.

The post Vanilla and Spice Candied Sweet Potato Galette appeared first on Saveur.

This piece originally appeared in SAVEUR’s Fall/Winter 2025 issue. See more stories from Issue 205.

Vanilla is a pantry staple, yet few realize each bean tells a ­centuries-old tale. Cultivated in places as geographically scattered as Madagascar, Mexico, and the United States (an emerging player), the plant requires a precise balance of temperature, humidity, and shade to thrive. Those environmental demands may limit yields, but they result in a remarkable diversity of flavors, ranging from floral to piquant to smoky.

Most “vanilla” today is, in fact, imitation vanillin, cheap and lacking depth. True vanilla, like wine or coffee, reflects its terroir. The vanilla orchid, native to the lush forests of Mexico and Central America, has deep Indigenous roots. The Totonacs likely first planted it for use in perfume and medicine, and the Aztecs later added the ingredient to cacahuatl, the chile-laced ancestor of hot chocolate.

In the 1500s, Spanish colonizers brought vanilla to Europe, where its flavor—especially in hot chocolate—quickly gained popularity. By the 1700s, the French, British, and Dutch had established vanilla plantations in their colonies. Queen Elizabeth I championed it, and Thomas Jefferson included it in his handwritten ice cream recipe, housed at the Library of Congress.Vanilla’s global appeal still shapes how the spice is grown and sold today. The two main types—Bourbon (Vanilla planifolia) and Tahitian (Vanilla tahitensis)—are classified by species and origin. The Mexican variety, though also from Bourbon-producing planifolia, is prized for its clove and nutmeg notes that balance heat and acidity. Tahitian and Hawaiian vanillas are fruity and floral, ideal for cold desserts, while creamy Ugandan and smoky Indonesian beans stand out for their heat resistance and single-origin cachet. And that’s just skimming the surface.

Mexico led the market for ­centuries, thanks to its native melipona bee, which evolved to pollinate the plant. But in the 1840s, a scientific breakthrough in hand-pollination by Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old enslaved boy in Île Bourbon (now French-owned Réunion), enabled large-scale production off the eastern coast of Africa, broadening the crop’s geographic reach—and flavor possibilities.

Vanilla is still grown on Réunion today, but Madagascar is now the world’s top producer, known for its bold, caramelly Bourbon beans. The crop there is increasingly threatened by the climate crisis, with rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and cyclones endangering both the plants and the livelihoods of small-scale ­farmers. Now more than ever—as the market fills with “pseudo-varietal” products made using beans engineered to mimic origin-specific flavors—it’s ­crucial to know your source, and to choose high-quality, ethically cultivated vanilla from generations-old communities.

Choose Your Fighter

Vanilla Beans

Beans are pure vanilla, cured and bursting with fragrant seeds. New York City pastry chef Lauren Schofield keeps a stash of them for whenever she wants their flavor to “stand out on its own.” Scrape the seeds into custards and ice creams, and steep the pods in syrups or crème anglaise.

Vanilla Extract

This is your everyday workhorse. Made by soaking beans in alcohol or plant-based glycerin, it takes well to dishes from cakes to curries. Cookbook author Samantha Seneviratne uses the liquid in “most everything” she bakes. “It’s beautiful on its own and enhances other flavors,” she says. Her tip? Always double what the recipe calls for.

Vanilla Paste

A blend of extract, seeds, and thickener, vanilla paste is a convenient alternative to whole beans. Executive pastry chef Sofia Tejeda of Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Edgartown, Massachusetts, prefers this scoopable format, noting the visible seeds signal “superior quality.”

Vanilla Powder

Powder from dehydrated pods is the only truly dry vanilla, making it ideal for adding to spice rubs and baking mixes. Swirl it into salted butter for topping roasted winter squash or sweet potatoes for a riff on Mexican camote enmielado.

Recipes

Vanilla and Spice Candied Sweet Potato Galette

Get the recipe >

Vanilla Bean-Roasted Grapes

Get the recipe >

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Let’s imagine that we’re traveling again. You’re in Rome. The pastry cases you see as you meander the streets likely show preference toward cornetti—Italian variations on croissants that have become standard breakfast fare—which have most likely been delivered from a larger, third-party distributor, leaving something to be imagined. But were you to stumble upon a pasticceria that bakes in-house, you must order maritozzi. Lightly sweetened brioche-style buns in the shape of a football, split and filled with whipped cream, maritozzi are the kind of breakfast that encourages you to slow down for a moment. To slowly sip your espresso, licking cream from fingers as you people-watch.

A Pastry Worthy of A Proposal?

Dating back as far as the Middle Ages, so the stories go, maritozzi apparently served two purposes. The simple buns, enriched with honey and olive oil, studded with pine nuts and dried fruit, were a treat during Lent (not too sweet, no animal fat). Keeping in mind that “marito” is Italian for “husband,” legend also has it that by the 18th century, to propose marriage, a man would give his intended one of these buns, perhaps even having a ring or another token of affection baked inside—thus earning the maritozzi their name (though whether the practice or name came first is a chicken-or-the-egg situation).

“Maritozzi is a very Roman pastry, and some outside the city hardly even know about it,” Saghar Setareh, a Rome-based food photographer and writer who hosts food tours and cooking classes, told me. It’s for that reason that he always makes a point to bring his groups for maritozzi before a morning tour of the city. “My favorite place is Pasticceria Barberini…they slice and stuff the maritozzo when you order.”

A Somewhat Elusive Treat

Cookbook author and photographer Kristina Gill, who’s also based in Rome, explains that word-of-mouth is the best way to find pasticcerie that make their own maritozzi. “Some places who have external suppliers don’t offer maritozzi at all,” she says, adding that she’s had luck at Bar Benaco, Pasticceria Linari, and Pasticceria Regoli (the latter is mentioned in her cookbook, Tasting Rome).

Over the past few years, Rome has hosted maritozzi festivals as part of an attempt to embrace the pastry as part of its unique cultural tradition. Food tour company Tavole Romane hosts an annual Maritozzo Day, where local shops are invited to participate. The buns can be sweet or savory; you can find them filled with everything from gianduja and zabaglione custard to eggplant caponata, meatballs, and mortadella. Vegan and gluten-free versions also appear to be growing in popularity.

Why Not Make It Yourself?

Since it’s unlikely you’ll travel to Rome anytime soon, now’s a good time to make maritozzi at home. The technique is straightforward and the ingredient list relatively short. Gill noted that when developing the recipe featured in Tasting Rome, she wanted the buns to be quite similar to a classic brioche, which would call for all-purpose flour, but after recipe testing, she found that higher-protein bread flour worked as well, “I’d say a reader could use either with great results.”

Stephanie Tantillo, an Educational Chef at Eataly in New York, offered yet another option: 00 flour. Tantillo, who learned to make maritozzi while working as a baker at Fedora in Florence, found that most Italian enriched doughs, including maritozzi, were made with soft wheat 00 flour, which produces a finely textured bun. “Italian flour has different classifications than American. All-purpose is the most similar to 00,” she added. “The big difference is 00 is only soft wheat, whereas all-purpose is a mixture of soft and hard.” That said, it’s clear that the buns are wildly adaptable to whatever the home baker has on hand.

On the matter of the historical practice of folding nuts or dried fruit into the dough: “I am one of those people who discards candied fruit,” said Gill, on her decision to omit them in her recipe. Setareh said “maritozzi are supposed to be like soft clouds, not dense with dry fruits,” but adds that she wouldn’t mind finding a raisin or two in a bun. While Fedora serves versions both with and without dried fruit, Tantillo says that the plain option is more popular.

*Find our how-to video guide to perfect whipped cream here.

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Maritozzi buns aren’t well known outside of Rome, but these lightly sweetened, football-shaped brioche-style buns are the kind of breakfast that practically demand to be slowly savored. As mentioned in Maritozzi: The Age-Old Roman Breakfast Pastry That’s Easily Made at Home, feel free to have fun with the filling.

Featured in: Maritozzi: The Age-Old Roman Breakfast Pastry That’s Easily Made at Home

Equipment

• Medium Bowl
• Kitchen Towel or Plastic Wrap
• Stand Mixer Fitted With the Paddle Attachment
• Plastic Bowl Scraper or Silicone Spatula
• Large Bowl
• Small Pot
• Serrated Knife

*Find our how-to video guide to perfect whipped cream here.

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