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Vanilla Of all nature's gifts, there are few quite as beautiful or versatile as the vanilla plant. From the exquisite delicacy of the orchid plant from which vanilla is derived, to the host of uses it offers post-harvest, few others in the plant kingdom can compete with this exotic plant.
While vanilla ranks as one of the world's most popular culinary ingredients, it is equally valued for its enticing aroma. Its full, rich flavor is irreplaceable in baked goods, frostings, custards and puddings, ice cream, and beverages, while in the world of aromatherapy, its gentle sweetness is highly prized for its calming, relaxing, and sensual qualities. The aroma of vanilla appears in products ranging from essential oils and bath and body care products to candles, perfumes, and air-freshening products. The popularity and usefulness of vanilla is reflected in the extensive selection of vanilla products carried at Frontier. We invite you to learn more about the many different forms of vanilla available to you--beans, powder, flavors and extracts, as well as a variety of aromatherapy products that will allow you to enjoy the full range of this extraordinary plant's sensory delights. |
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From plant to product Vanilla beans are the long, greenish-yellow seedpods of the fragrant tropical vanilla orchid, which is grown commercially in Madagascar, Mexico, Indonesia, and Tahiti. Although there are over 150 varieties of vanilla orchids, only two species-- Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla tahitensis (Tahitian vanilla)--are commonly cultivated for commercial use as a flavoring or fragrance. A variety of factors, including where the beans are grown, soil, climate, and the curing process impact the quality of vanilla--which determines its flavor, aroma, and appearance. The cultivation of vanilla is a painstaking process which relies on patience, hand-tending, impeccable timing, and experience. Of all agricultural products, vanilla is one of the most labor intensive, resulting in a premium price. In the world of spices, only saffron is more expensive. Vanilla cultivation usually begins with the planting of host trees, often legumes such as poro trees, which in addition to providing the vanilla plants with nitrogen (legumes replenish the nitrogen in the soil), will support the vines and shield the plants from direct sun. The vanilla plant is a vine that wraps around the host tree (or wooden posts, which are also sometimes used). If left untended, the vines will climb out of reach of the growers (up to 50 or 60 feet), so they must be regularly pruned and trained to keep them manageable. |
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It is three full years after planting until the vanilla is ready to bear fruit. In most cases, the orchid flowers on the vine must be pollinated by hand. Without pollination, no beans are produced by the plant. (Vanilla originated in Mexico where the flowers were pollinated by the tiny, stingless, Melipone bee. For years, vanilla vines were planted in other countries, but with no insects to pollinate them, no beans developed. When the method of artificial pollination of the flowers was discovered in 1836, Mexico lost its monopoly on vanilla bean production.)
Hand pollination is a pain-staking job. Each individual flower must be held with one hand while a small pointed stick is used to pry it open to reach the pollen. The pollen on the tip of the stick is brushed across the stigma to fertilize that flower. Each flower lasts less than a day, so the pollinators must go through the vines daily throughout the two-month blooming period. Throughout the course of the day, they will hand-pollinate between 1,000 and 2,000 orchid flowers. » What is Vanilla? |
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