Pleasantly fragrant rich vanilla beans are the pods or fruits obtained from a tropical climbing orchid. Mayans used them to flavor chocolate drink centuries before Spanish first set their foot in Mexico in 1520. This highly prized bean is native to tropical rain forest of Central America and only recently spread to other tropical-regions by Spanish explorers. Botanically the plant is a perennial herbaceous climbing vine belonging to the family of Orchidaceae, in the genus: vanilla. Scientific name:Vanilla planifolia.
The vanilla plant has unique growth characteristics. It requires supporting tree or pole to grow in height. A matured vine bears deep trumpet-shaped flowers. The flowers open only for one day and are naturally pollinated either by the Melipona bee or long beaked humming birds. However, in cultivation, they are hand-pollinated and now grown commercially in Madagascar, Indonesia, India, Puerto Rica and West Indies. There exist three main cultivars of vanilla. Among them, Vanilla planifolia is the most sought-after bean worldwide.
The other species include Vanilla pompona and Vanilla tahitiensis (grown in Polynesian islands), although the vanillin content of these species is inferior to Vanilla planifolia. Unripe vanilla pods are harvested when they are 5-8 inches long and turn light yellow. They are then blanched briefly in boiling water, sweated and dried under sun over a period of weeks until they turn dark-brown and wrinkled. White crystalline efflorescence which is vanillin, the main essence of vanilla, appears inside in some of the superior quality pods.
