Vanilla

A few years ago, while studying in the Kingdom of Tonga, I developed an appreciation for the vanilla plant. (For those who travel, I highly recommend visiting Tonga). The beauty of the plant struck me and it quickly became my favorite plant. I have often thought about vanilla since then. The extract is commonly used by many people in baking, shampoos, lotions, perfumes, essential oils and of course, ice cream. I was reminded of my love for vanilla this last week when I was at MBG's Orchid Show. I admit, many people are surprised to find out that vanilla is an orchid.

Some quick facts about Vanilla:

• Vanilla is in the orchid family, Orchidaceae
o Orchidaceae is the largest family of flowering plants
• Vanilla is a vine
• The flavor of vanilla comes from the fruit pod
• Vanilla originated in Mexico
o The plant was not successfully cultivated outside of Mexico and Central America until 1841 because vanilla’s pollinator (the Melipona bee) is only found in that area. Until another method for pollination was discovered, vanilla was not successfully cultivated outside of Mesoamerica. In 1841 Edmond Albius discovered that vanilla could be hand-pollinated.
o Today, Madagascar is the leader in vanilla production