The taste in a vanilla pod is inside, so in order to get the flavour in you drink, you need to cut it open. There is a huge difference between vanilla pods depending where they are from:
Madagascar Bourbon pods has a sweet, creamy flavor and is what we might think of as the classic vanilla pod
Mexican pods also have a sweet, creamy flavor but with a bit of a spicy character
Indonesian pods have a more woody and smoky flavor
Tahitian pods have a floral flavor with cherry and anise-like notes, which means they work great with drinks and more
Whatever vanilla pod you choose, remember that quality does pay off