Smash Boom Best: A funny, smart debate show for kids and family
Aug 6, 2026 · 38 min · 16 segments
Today two terrific tastes are here to mix it up. On one side we have a warming spice that comes from a seed pod and on the other a mean, green cooling leaf machine. It’s vanilla vs mint. Keeping…
Molly BloomHostSam SuksiriGuestGregory ParksGuestAlexGuestTaylor LincolnTodd DouglasWhat does vanilla have in common with blue jeans, Mozart, and The Cat in the Hat? They're all classic.
[classical music] It's one of the world's favorite flavors and the start to any classic treat, whether it's a cake, cookie, custard, sundae, or ice cream sandwich.
And while vanilla might get a bad rap for being boring or simple, it's anything but For starters, it's a very complex plant to grow.
People in present day South and Central America have been growing and using vanilla for thousands of years.
Once a year, vanilla vines grow flowers which bloom for just a few hours, waiting to be pollinated by a bee or hummingbird.
[bee buzzes] It takes nine more months for those pollinated flowers to grow bean pods.
[pods popping] Eventually the beans are boiled, dried, and cured to create that pure vanilla flavor, which comes from the seeds inside the pods.
But the results are totally worth it because nothing tastes as warm and comforting as the vanilla we know and love.
[slurps] It tastes like the warmest, coziest fireplace.
Like pure love from a puppy.
The Maya people would mix it into a drink made with cacao and spices, like a less sweet version of hot chocolate.
For more, I called in somebody who uses vanilla all the time, my fiancee, Charlotte.
Hello, I'm Charlotte Chriska.
I am a chocolatier and pastry chef.
So I have extensive culinary knowledge.
Charlotte, as a professional who has to use vanilla a lot, what makes it so special?
What does vanilla have in common with blue jeans, Mozart, and The Cat in the Hat? They're all classic.
[classical music] It's one of the world's favorite flavors and the start to any classic treat, whether it's a cake, cookie, custard, sundae, or ice cream sandwich.
And while vanilla might get a bad rap for being boring or simple, it's anything but For starters, it's a very complex plant to grow.
People in present day South and Central America have been growing and using vanilla for thousands of years.
Once a year, vanilla vines grow flowers which bloom for just a few hours, waiting to be pollinated by a bee or hummingbird.
[bee buzzes] It takes nine more months for those pollinated flowers to grow bean pods.
[pods popping] Eventually the beans are boiled, dried, and cured to create that pure vanilla flavor, which comes from the seeds inside the pods.
But the results are totally worth it because nothing tastes as warm and comforting as the vanilla we know and love.
[slurps] It tastes like the warmest, coziest fireplace.
Like pure love from a puppy.
The Maya people would mix it into a drink made with cacao and spices, like a less sweet version of hot chocolate.
For more, I called in somebody who uses vanilla all the time, my fiancee, Charlotte.
Hello, I'm Charlotte Chriska.
I am a chocolatier and pastry chef.
So I have extensive culinary knowledge.
Charlotte, as a professional who has to use vanilla a lot, what makes it so special?
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