Vanilla
Vanilla is found everywhere--it is in our drinks, our food and our perfume, it is even used for medicinal purposes. Surprisingly, vanilla is extremely hard to harvest. Getting the plant to produce the vanilla pod takes more science than nature.
Vanilla is derived from an orchid known as Vanilla plan folia. Although vanilla is native to Mexico, it is now grown throughout the tropics. Madagascar is the world’s largest producer, followed by Indonesia and then China.
The plant is a vine that grows continuously. Growers fold the vines over in an effort to keep them at a height where they can be harvested. Folding the vines also stimulates the production of flowers. Pollination of the flower produces fruit. One flower will produce only one fruit. The flowers are hermaphrodite; which means they carry both male and female organs. A thin membrane separates the organs to prevent self-pollination.
Natural pollination occurs only in Mexico, where a certain type of bee lives. These bees have been introduced into other parts of the world in order to promote self pollination of the plant. It is unfortunate that these efforts have failed and farms are relying on artificial pollination.
Artificial pollination occurs by a method of folding back the membrane and pressing the male and female organs together. The vanilla flower only lasts about a day, so growers must inspect their crops on a daily basis. The fruit, when ripe and opened releases a distinctive vanilla smell. The fruit contains seeds that look like black specks.
The fruit, or pods, are harvested while green and immature. The vegetative tissue of the pod is killed to prevent further growth. The pods are then held for up to ten days under extreme hot and humid conditions to allow enzymes to process the compounds in the pods into vanilla in the pods are then laid out in the sun to dry. Natural vanilla is sold in three forms: the whole pod, ground powder, or extract.
