WILD VANILLA POWDER HOW TO

The curing process consists of four phases: “killing” to stop the vegetative growth “sweating” by raising the temperature and promoting enzymatic reactions in the bean “drying” to reduce moisture content and “conditioning” the beans by storing them in closed boxes for three months or longer to allow the flavor and aroma to develop. The beautiful yellow flower of the vanilla orchid bears a fruit, or bean, which is harvested and cured before commercial consumption.

Vanilla beans have a long journey before they reach your kitchen. Today, Madagascar, Indonesia, Mexico and Tahiti produce the majority of vanilla, with each variety carrying unique flavor characteristics.

WILD VANILLA POWDER HOW TO

In 1841, a former slave living on the French Island of Bourbon (now Reunion Island) off the coast of Madagascar figured out how to hand pollinate the vanilla orchid, and commercial cultivation of vanilla outside of Mexico began. This led to Mexico’s monopoly of the vanilla business for hundreds of years. However, the plants did not flower since vanilla’s lone natural pollinator, the Melipona bee, could not survive outside of Mexico and Central America. Spanish conquistadors brought vanilla plants back to Europe where they grew successfully. In the mythology of the ancient Indians, the vanilla plant sprouted forth from the spot where two young lovers were murdered, their spilled blood making fertile ground for the sweet, aromatic orchid. In the area now known as Veracruz, the Indians went on gathering parties, sniffing out the inviting aroma of the ripening pods. Totonaca Indians of Mexico first discovered wild vanilla growing in the jungles surrounded by coffee plants and cocoa trees.

Both factors contribute to making vanilla the second-most expensive spice after saffron. The orchid must be hand-pollinated and the bean it produces requires a lengthy curing process. That heady aroma graces products as diverse as soft drinks and perfume. Winding itself up a host tree deep in the jungles of Madagascar, Indonesia and Mexico, the delicate vanilla orchid produces a spice that is as labor-intensive as it is distinctive.

Wild vanilla powder