Extract of vanilla essence dug up in body of salty water (3)
I believe the answer is:
sea
'body of salty water' is the definition.
'sea' can be an answer for 'water' (sea is a kind of water). I am unsure of the 'body of salty' bit.
'extract of vanilla essence dug up' is the wordplay.
'extract of' says the answer is hidden in the clue (I've seen this in other clues).
'up' says the letters should be written in reverse (in down clue: letters go upwards).
'aes' can be found hidden inside 'vanilla essence dug'.
'aes' back-to-front is 'SEA'.
'in' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sea that I've seen before include "North, say" , "Body of saltwater" , "North for one" , "The main" , "7 [ship] s on this" .)