Weekend Plate: Vanilla

We take the flavor vanilla for granted. Vanilla to the American culture is synonymous with boring. But really, do you have any idea how hard it is to get vanilla?

It is said the original procurers of vanilla were the Totonaco Indians in Mexico. Successively, the Aztecs, and then the Spanish demanded the ones before them give up their vanilla pods. The Spanish took this exotic item back to Europe and made a drink that only the very wealthy could enjoy, and now, almost all can enjoy it.

 Vanilla is the fruit from an orchid. It now grows in Madagascar, Indonesia, Mexico, and Tahiti. Each variety has a special flavor profile ranging from woody to spicy and smooth. In order to produce a vanilla pod from an orchid, the flowers are HAND pollinated during a certain time of day during the one month flowering period. The pods are hand harvested before fully ripe so the beans will not split and disrupt the flavor.

Take a second and appreciate our basic vanilla!

Source: http://www.nielsenmassey.com/historyofvanilla.htm