Vanilla is a spice with very fruity and sweet aromas. Vanilla comes from an orchid to be more precise vanilla, planofolia for vanilla from Mexico, India, Uganda for example Planifolia AOC Bourbon for Madagascar, Reunion Island, Mauritius., Tahitian for Tahiti and Pompona for Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Vanilla is a tropical plant, it was discovered in 1518 by Christopher Columbus in Mexico.
Originally, vanilla pods were first harvested from wild orchids in Mexico. The indigenous people of Mexico found that when it fell to the ground, the vanilla fermented with an exquisite aroma that marry wonderfully with chocolate.
The first written mention of the vanilla bean would be in the Chronicles of Aztec ruler Itzcoalt in the 15th century. However, the Aztecs probably used it for centuries in the preparation of cocoa drinks, such as Xocolatl with raw cocoa beans, to soften the natural bitterness of chocolate. (Today we fight the bitterness of cocoa in tablets more than 80% with vanilla).
For more than two to three centuries, Mexico maintained a monopoly on vanilla pod cultivation. All attempts to produce this orchid out of its original natural range were crowned with failures. Especially in Europe with temperatures that are not in line with the orchid.
It was unknown until the nineteenth century that it was a small species specific bees in Mexico that played the role of foraging essential to the formation of the fruit of the orchid. The botanists took several years to realize that for vanilla, the male and female organs of the flower were separated by a waterproof membrane called "rostellum".
In the Aztec language, vanilla is called "tlilxot chitl", it can be translated as "black pod". It will take more than a century for a European to give it a Latin-sounding and pronounceable name for the West.
It was Christopher Columbus who imported it to Europe on his third trip to what he thought was India.
Vanilla needs to grow in a hot and humid environment away from direct sunlight. Vanilla and its vanilla blossom grow only in a soft light, in the undergrowth.
Fertilization of the vanilla flower is done by hand between 10:00 and 12:00. Because it exists that a bee able to pollinate the vanilla is called Melipona. Hummingbirds can also pollinate.
The Thalassa report shows how to pollinate the vanilla flower with our vanilla producer.
The vanilla fruit is long green pods, large, fleshy. When the green pod matures, our producer will harvest it and will then be scalded, dried, sorted and refined.
The refining of vanilla is the last step, especially for Madagascar Bourbon Gourmet AOC black vanilla, because it guarantees a sweet and intense vanilla scent for a vanilla that will be long and very fragrant on the palate.
We made an article on the preparation of vanilla at our vanilla producer in Madagascar partner: preparation of vanilla.