Understanding the World’s Most Distinctive Flavor
Few substances in the world offer the astonishing versatility of vanilla. It’s a staple in a wide range of culinary creations, often serves as a room deodorizer, and is commonly added to body washes and lotions due to its characteristic as a natural antiseptic.
What Were the Earliest Uses of Vanilla?
Archaeologists have found evidence that vanilla was a highly kept secret among the Totonac people along the eastern-central coast of Mexico for centuries, starting around the turn of the first millennium CE. It seems that, until the mid-1400s, vanilla was unknown outside this region.
When the Aztecs subjugated the Totonac in the late 15th century, they demanded regular tribute (payment) from them. The Totomac paid their tribute with the bean or fruit of the Tlilxochitl vine, what we now call vanilla. The archaeological evidence further indicates that the Totomac used the vanilla to flavor chocolate (which then consisted of corn, honey, cacao beans and vanilla).
The explorer Cortes brought the chocolate to Europe, where it was initially used exclusively to flavor chocolate drinks. Around the turn of the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I proposed that vanilla be used separately to flavor food and drinks.
For centuries, though, all the vanilla in the world was grown in Mexico. In the late 1700s, though, a traveler smuggled a vanilla vine to what ultimately became Madagascar, where 80% of the world’s vanilla is now grown.
How Is Vanilla Grown and Harvested?
Vanilla comes from a tropical orchid, which can typically take three to five years to produce fruit. Once the vanilla vine is mature, it is typically hand-pollinated, as the plant itself is not self-pollinating and the bees that successfully pollinate the plant in Mexico are not found in Madagascar. The pollination must take place within a 12 hour window.
Once pollinated, the vanilla vine produces beans, which typically take 8-9 months to mature. Once the tips of those beans turn yellow, they are immediately harvested. They may be handpicked or carefully cut to prevent damage to the vine or the bean. A typical vanilla bean harvest can last up to three months, as the beans tend to ripen at different rates.
When picked, the beans have little to no aroma. They are immediately plunged into a hot water bath to terminate growth, wrapped in woolen blankets and placed in containers for up to 48 hours, causing them to turn a dark brown. Next, they are sun-dried for up to three weeks, then air-dried in shade for another month or so, causing them to lose most of their moisture. Finally, they are placed in an airtight container for up to two months to maximize flavor and aroma.
