If you crush them fresh in a mortar, the aroma is particularly intense. The queen of spices is also one of the most expensive. The most important type is Bourbon vanilla (Vanilla planifolia).
We called it Crème Anglaise and it was a velvety, smooth sauce made from egg yolks, whole milk, cream, vanilla bean and sugar. You could flavour it with anything you liked such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ...