In today’s episode, we are traveling to Madagascar! I talk with Chef Elizabeth Falkner, Mixologist Shannon Tebay, and Chef Michale Gulotta about our trip to Madagascar. The winners of the Vnlla Extract Co. challenge accompanied me on a tour with the vanilla producer, Symrise.You’ll hear about their experiences in Madagascar and their impressions of visiting a country still in the process of discovering itself. They share their favorite local ingredients, the creative ways they utilized them, and you’ll hear about the local food and growing cocktail culture.

What you'll learn from our rip to Madagascar

The vanilla-inspired dishes they came up with before their trip to Madagascar (4:03)How visiting Madagascar opened the door to new flavors and inspiration (5:36)Impressions of the vanilla-making process in Madagascar (9:08)How flavor and fragrance are intertwined (10:25)The complexities of Madagascar’s colonial past (12:46)A surprising truth about Madagascar vanilla (14:22)A comparison between the first and second most expensive ingredients in the world and where they come from (17:04)How the use of vanilla in Madagascar is changing (19:33)What the vanilla competition was like (21:08)Why one restaurant stood out during their trip to Madagascar (25:01)A spicy Madagascar chili dish Chef Falkner created (27:12)Shannon Tebay’s serendipitous ingredient coincidence (29:05)Michaels’ oyster incident and a raving fan (30:49)One special memory they all shared (33:42)Dishes and drinks that capture the flavor of Madagascar (40:25)Final thoughts on how to describe their travel experiences in Madagascar (44:51)What it feels like to drive through the streets of Madagascar (46:17)Link to the podcast episode on Apple Podcast

Links to other episodes with my guests

Conversation with chef Elizabeth FalknerConversation with chef Michael Gulotta

Links to most downloaded episodes (click on any picture to listen to the episode)

Chef Sheldon Simeon

Chef Andy Doubrava

Chef Chris Kajioka

Chef Suzanne Goin

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Boat trip in Madagascar

Cocoa Farm in Madagascar

Trip in Madagascar

Cocktail competition in Madagascar

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I find generally speaking that if it grows together, it goes together. So a lot of food that comes out of the same regions, they end up integrating really well.-Shannon Tebay

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I think it's 100% true that in mixology and in pastry, often those people are leading the change. It's always the cocktails and the desserts that are leading the path of flavor.-Elizabeth Falkner

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I think it's 100% true that in mixology and in pastry, often those people are leading the change. It's always the cocktails and the desserts that are leading the path of flavor.-Elizabeth Falkner

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Chef Elizabeth Falkner

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Chef Michael Gulotta

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Mixologist Shannon Tebay

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Links mentioned in this episode

Chef Kelly English websiteRestaurant IrisThe Second Line