HERB - Question about the origins about vanilla

[lilinah@earthlink.net]

Iasmin wrote:
>  To start with, vanilla is a member of the orchid family. It's a tropical
>  plant. As far as I know, there is no commercial cultivation of vanilla in
>  North America at all. However, I know for a fact that it does grow in
>  North America because several organizations list it on their rare fruit
>  growing lists (cf. the California Rare Fruit Growers).
>
>  The vine abhors wind and prefers warm temperatures and partial shade.
>  Recreating the tropical climes to grow this orchid in North America
>  would prove quite a challenge without the use of a greenhouse.

Uh, vanilla originated in Mexico. Mexico IS in North America. And 
there is commercial cultivation of vanilla in Mexico. So, yes, there 
is commercial cultivation of vanilla in North America.

In fact, vanilla is also commercially grown in the United States: it 
is grown in Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

The vanilla i buy is grown in Madagascar, a place to which it isn't 
native. This is considered the best vanilla. Mexican vanilla is also 
considered good. Tahitian and Indonesian vanilla are weaker.

--- according to one website ---
The Totonac tribe of Mexico is credited with being the first to use 
vanilla as a flavoring, possibly over a thousand years ago. The beans 
were later used as tribute to the Emperor of the Aztecs.

    In the early 1500's, when Hernan Cortes of Spain met with Emperor 
Montezuma, it was noted that the Emperor drank chocolatl, served from 
golden goblets with gold spoons. The mixture was a thick liquid that 
melted in the mouth. It was made from powdered cocoa beans, ground 
corn and tlilxochitl (black vanilla pods). Cortes took vanilla with 
him to Europe, but by the 18th century, vanilla was used in France 
more than any other European country. They used it for flavoring, and 
for scenting perfumes and tobacco. Vanilla was brought to the United 
States in the late 1700's by Thomas Jefferson.

    Cuttings of the Vanilla vine were planted in other tropical areas, 
where they grew easily, but would not produce any seed pods. It was 
later discovered that the flowers of the plants in Mexico were 
pollinated by certain small bees, hummingbirds, and possibly ants. 
These particular pollinators were not taken with the plants, so the 
flowers never produced fruits. In 1841, a method of hand pollination 
was perfected, and vanilla beans were then produced in great 
quantity. Plantations were quickly developed in Madagascar, the 
Reunion Islands, the Seychelles Islands, Tahiti, the Comoro Islands, 
Ceylon, Java, the Philippines and parts of Africa.
-----end clipping

So while it may be pollinated naturally in some locations in Mexico, 
commercial vanilla is hand pollinated.

-----
http://www.infoweb.com.au/orchids/vanilla.htm
has photos of the vanilla orchid flower and vanilla pods on the vine, 
along with some history and other info.

http://www.creativeseasoning.com/HrbSpcSections/Vanilla.htm
has a close up picture of vanilla pods on the vine

http://www.cookswares.com/discvanilla.htm and
http://www.cookswares.com/discvanilla2.htm
has the most detailed info on processing vanilla, including photos.

Anahita al-shazhiyya
============================================================================
Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.