Refining spices

This is how the best Christmas cookies taste this year

Cinnamon and vanilla! These are this year's pre-Christmas cookie ingredients of the year. This was the result of a survey by spice connoisseur Erwin Kotanyi from Wolkersdorf.

The Weinviertel spice specialist Erwin Kotanyi calls the (Lower) Austrians' preference for sweet treats "Vanillalove"! But the entrepreneur is allowed to do so - because he is the head of the leading international ingredient brand. According to reports, the herb specialist even makes the Orientals (who are known to be particularly fond of spices) click their tongues. But for the approaching pre-Christmas period, the traditional company in Wolkersdorf focused entirely on local baking preferences in a special report, which was analyzed down to the gram, so to speak.

Erwin Kotanyi even has Orientals clicking their tongues.(Bild: Kotanyi GmbH)

The Christmas cookie report
A total of 553 people between the ages of 15 and 59 were surveyed online across Austria. A clear preference - vanilla, a spice obtained from the fermented capsule fruits, or pods, of various species of the orchid genus of the same name, which grows abundantly in South America. Incidentally, genuine Bourbon vanilla is refined in Wolkersdorf. It is considered the undisputed queen of spices and should obviously not be missing from Advent treats.

Cinnamon and vanilla - the taste of Advent in Lower Austria.(Bild: Pixabay/Daria Yakovleva)

Cinnamon is indispensable for many
Of course, there is also cinnamon, which has been crowned "cookie majesty". No wonder 57 percent of housewives and househusbands reach uninhibitedly for this special sprinkling during Advent, while 48 percent "crave" the fine sweetness of vanilla. Kotanyi nutritionist Elisabeth Voltmer: "This spice is known for its balancing and calming effect. And vanilla is also known as a flavor savior - it softens overly spicy chili dishes, for example."