Most people don't know that vanilla beans are one of the most labour intensive agricultural products in the world. The vanilla bean ( actually a pod), is the fruit of an orchid. Of the thousands of varieties of the orchid, the vanilla plant is the only one with an edible fruit. The vanilla orchid is a rather small, trumpet-shaped greenish –white flower,
Vanilla originated in Mexico but vanilla production has spread throughout a
region five degrees north and five degrees south of the equator around the world. Since there is a lack of natural pollinators where most vanilla is grown today, each vanilla orchid flower must be pollinated by hand. The vanilla orchid only bloom once a year and must be pollinated within hours of the flower opening or it dies and falls off the plant. Once the orchard is pollinated, the beans take about eight month to grow and mature to the point of harvesting. After harvesting, the beans must go through a curing process that can take up to 4 months to achieve the optimum flavor and texture. Given these facts, along with the fact that vanilla is the most sought after flavoring in the world.
We have the answer to our commonly asked question.
Although there are only two commercially grown species of vanilla producing plants, vanilla bean vary in appearance, color, texture, and flavor. Each different growing origin seems to produce beans with their own unique characteristics. This is largely due to the different soils, climate conditions, and curing process |
