[Sca-cooks] the Melipone bee, vanilla

[TerryDecker]

Yes, Melipona bees do produce honey.  While there are numerous species 
worldwide, most are found in the tropics.  The particular species that 
pollinate vanilla are only found in Mexico.

Many bees produce honey, but only the species that form colonies are of use 
to humans.  The European honeybee (Apis mellifera) is a prolific producer of 
honey and it flourishes in temperate climates, but it is not the only 
producer of honey.  Central and South America, Africa and Australia all had 
honey before the Europeans arrived, but the evidence suggests it was 
gathered from the wild rather than farmed.

To my knowledge, the Meliponini are nor subject to Colony collapse disorder.

Again to my knowledge, the only recorded use for vanilla pre-1600 was as an 
ingredient in chocolate drink.  At some point it moved to coffee, but this 
was likely in the first half of the 17th Century as coffee houses caught on. 
The first recorded consideration of vanilla as a separate and distinct 
flavoring was in 1602.

Bear

-----Original Message----- 

Ber commented:
<<< Linnaeus and his attempt to grow vanilla is immaterial to the early 
dating
of vanilla in Sweden as he is 18th Century.   He failed because natural
pollination of vanilla is by the Melipone bee which is only found in Mexico. 
 >>>

Did/does this bee produce honey?

I think we've discussed that honeybees were an European import to the New 
World, and I classify honey as an Old World food when I run the NW/OW game.

Os this bee also subject to a die-off as other bees currently are?

Do we have any other period recipes that use vanilla, other than this recipe 
for cocoa?

Thanks,
  Stefan