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Mexico – The Birthplace of Vanilla The vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) originated in Mexico and, for centuries, was the exclusive secret of the native Totonac Indians who were later conquered by the Aztecs.
What type of flower does vanilla come from?
Vanilla comes from the pod of a tropical climbing orchid native to Mexico, and to this day some of the best vanilla beans in the world are produced in Papantla, Mexico.
Where does real vanilla come from?
Vanilla is a native of South and Central America and the Caribbean; and the first people to have cultivated it seem to have been the Totonacs of Mexico’s east coast. The Aztecs acquired vanilla when they conquered the Totonacs in the 15th Century; the Spanish, in turn, got it when they conquered the Aztecs.
Is vanilla a tree or plant?
Vanilla, the vanilla orchids, forms a flowering plant genus of about 110 species in the orchid family (Orchidaceae). The most widely known member is the flat-leaved vanilla (V. planifolia), native to Mexico and Belize, from which commercial vanilla flavoring is derived.
How is vanilla harvested?
The vanilla beans are laid out into the hot sun all day, and then brought inside at night, until the moisture content in the beans is down to 18%-35%. (Grade-b vanilla is dried longer with a moisture content around 20%. Grade-a is dried for a shorter period of time with a moisture content around 30%.).
How is vanilla farmed?
The vanilla orchid is a vine-like plant that grows up trees. The vine can grow up to 30 feet long. The vanilla pod is frequently referred to as the bean. The pods are picked when they are still not ripe, and then plunged into hot water and laid out to dry for anywhere from two to six months.
What is imitation vanilla made from?
The beans are painstakingly grown, hand-harvested, and shipped from just a few countries—hence the high cost. Imitation vanilla, however, is made from synthetic vanillin, which is the compound that naturally occurs in vanilla beans and gives it that distinctive flavor.
Why is vanilla only grown in Madagascar?
The reason that Madagascar is still on top of the vanilla game is grim: According to The Financial Times, it’s one of the few regions with the right climate that is also poor enough to make laborious hand-pollination affordable.
What is Madagascar vanilla?
Madagascar vanilla beans are considered to be the gold standard for quality vanilla beans in the spice world. The humid, northeast corner of Madagascar, known as the Sava region, produces the majority of the world’s finest vanilla beans. Vanilla grown outside of its native country, Mexico, has no natural pollinators.
Is vanilla made from orchids?
It may surprise you to learn that vanilla bean pods come from an orchid (which already sounds expensive). In fact, the vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia) is the only orchid that produces an edible fruit. To ensure pollination and the best vanilla bean flavor, each flower on every orchid is hand-pollinated.
Is vanilla a lily?
It grows from tuberous roots, which are edible. Indigenous people ate the tubers raw or after roasting them. Propagate from seed or by division of the tubers.Arthropodium milleflorum – Pale Vanilla Lily. Family: Anthericaceae Scientific Name: Arthropodium milleflorum Common Name: Vanilla Lily Plant Type: Grass or grass-like, Clumping perennial, Bulb or bulb-like.
What are vanilla plants?
Vanilla, or Vanilla planifolia, is a vining orchid native to Mexico and it’s one of the most highly sought after spices in cultivation. Today, vanilla is grown mostly for commercial production in Madagascar, Reunion Island, Comoro Islands, Indonesia and Mexico.
Is vanilla a fruit?
8 Fun Facts About Vanilla. Vanilla is the only fruit-bearing member of the orchid family. The flower that produces the vanilla bean lasts only one day. The beans are hand-picked and then cured, wrapped, and dried in a process that takes 4 to 6 months.
Where does natural vanilla extract come from?
Today, about 80% of the world’s natural vanilla comes from smallholder farms in Madagascar. There, locals continue to pollinate orchids by hand and cure the beans in the traditional fashion. It didn’t take long for vanilla demand to exceed supply from the farms of Madagascar.
Why is vanilla so expensive to produce?
Why is vanilla extract so expensive? Vanilla extract comes from a plant that is very finicky and difficult to grow. Additionally, most are grown in Madagascar, which has experienced a number of storms in the last five years that have destroyed crops.
What is the difference between imitation vanilla and pure vanilla?
The word “pure” signifies that the vanilla extract is made from only natural vanilla beans, water and alcohol. Most imitation vanilla extracts are a weak solution of naturally derived (from lignin or wood pulp) or artificially derived (synthesized in a lab) vanillin.
What’s in French vanilla?
The term “French vanilla” traditionally refers to a French style of preparing vanilla ice cream. The French use egg yolks to create a custard base for their ice cream, giving it a richer consistency. You can use artificial or natural vanilla compounds to flavor both French and plain vanilla ice cream.
What is the difference between real vanilla and imitation?
Pure vanilla extract is made by steeping vanilla beans in water and ethyl alcohol. If vanilla extract is “pure” it means that the vanilla flavoring comes from only the vanilla bean, so the price is a little higher. Imitation Vanilla is made using (you guessed it) imitation ingredients which often contain chemicals.
