📅 Date: Wednesday, October 1st, 2025

Where: Food Innovation Center, OSU 1207 NW Naito Parkway, Portland, Or

🕤 Time: 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM

🍽️ Bonus: Lunch is on us!

There’s Nothing Vanilla About Vanilla is a bold exploration of one of the world’s most beloved—and misunderstood—flavors. Presented by Weber Flavors and the Food Innovation Center, this immersive experience peels back the layers of vanilla’s rich history, complex cultivation, and surprising versatility. From orchid to extract, discover how this “plain” flavor is anything but. Whether you're a food scientist, flavor enthusiast, or curious palate, prepare to rethink everything you thought you knew about vanilla. It's time to celebrate the extraordinary behind the ordinary. This event is designed to inspire new thinking around ingredients, sensory science, and market trends—through the lens of taste.

TOPICS

• Where in the world? History and Origins

• What do we call it? Labeling Considerations

• Why are there so many different kinds? Tasting: Compare and Contrast

Turning Trends into Concepts

• Tracking Trends
• Ideation
• Sensory Testing
• Tasting Ice Cream!

Coffee and lunch will be provided with registration. Event is hosted at OSU Food Innovation Center. Parking is available onsite.

Contact the host of Weber Flavors: There's Nothing Vanilla about Vanilla!