What is it?

[Windigo]

Cocoa bean?

 

[karadekoolaid]

Baked bananas.

 

[Morning Glory]

it is not a vanilla bean, is it?
a spice that grows in a bean?

Not a vanilla bean. Not sure what you mean by a spice growing in a bean.

Cocoa bean?

Nope

Baked bananas.

Nope

 

[Morning Glory]

Hint: technically/botanically its a seed.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Chestnut?

 

[Morning Glory]

Chestnut?

Nope

 

[JAS_OH1]

Khudri dates?

 

[Morning Glory]

Khudri dates?

Nope - its technically a seed as I mentioned above.

Hint: Its aromatic (very)...

They are approximately an inch long (3cm).

 

[JAS_OH1]

Nope - its technically a seed as I mentioned above.

Hint: Its aromatic (very)...

They are approximately an inch long (3cm).

Ok, I know nothing about dates other than some bad ones from the 1980s (the human kind).

 

[ElizabethB]

Glad you clarified that it is a seed. My first thought was geoduck.

 

[Morning Glory]

Hint: its a rather 'cheffy' ingredient. Usually used in sweet things but can be used in savoury.

 

[JAS_OH1]

Hint: its a rather 'cheffy' ingredient. Usually used in sweet things but can be used in savoury.

It's not something I have ever seen before, whatever it is.

 

[Morning Glory]

It's not something I have ever seen before, whatever it is.

Maybe not. But you may have come across the aroma...

Big hint: its used in making certain expensive perfumes.

 

[Morning Glory]

I'll summarise the clues:

Technically a seed.
Very aromatic.
Approximately an inch long.
Used mainly in sweet dishes but can be used in savoury.
A 'cheffy' ingredient.
Used in expensive perfumes.

Here is another photo. I do have a recipe on CookingBites which uses it.

 

[garlichead]

Tonka bean.