Vanilla also called Vanilla Planifolia Andrews

Kerala, The spice garden of India is native to various spices including Pepper, Cardamon for centuries. The latest addition is the list is ‘VANILLA’. Everyone of us is heard of Vanilla as in the Mouthwatering Vanilla Ice Cream or Vanilla essence used in cakes and cookies.

How many of us is aware of What is it? Where do one get it from???Vanilla is that great smelling liquid in a little bottle in the refrigerator. An artificial essence!!!!Is it??

Find out here…

Vanilla is the World’s most expensive spice, next to Saffron traded in the International spice markets. It’s a flavouring derived from a climbing Orchid flowers. It belongs to the Orchidaceae family of Plant Kingdom. The word vanilla was derived from the Spanish name of the spice, vainilla, which means “little sheath”, possibly motivated by the sheath-like shape of the bean. The species name, planifolia, refers to the striking flat shape of the leaves. The names of Vanilla are almost the same in all the languages. Vanilla planifolia Andrews is one of the mostly available three in the hundred and ten varieties of vanilla in the markets today. Vanilla is a native to Mexico and Caribbean (birthplace of Vanilla). It is also grown commercially in Indonesia, Tahiti, Madagascar, Reunion and the Cormoro islands and quite recently was introduced in India where it can be grown in South, Northeast and the Islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar. Madagascar and Mexico produces the best quality while Indonesian and Tahitian Vanilla is weaker and inferior.

Vanilla plants are spread over the trophical and sub trophical regions around the world. It’s a tree climbing orchid having succulent stems and smooth green pointed leaves. Vanilla plantings is normally done with the cuttings obtained from healthy plants. It is the longest orchid according to studies.Vanilla grows best under filtered sunlight. It is a vine and thus requires the support of poles/trees.It is furnished with numerous aerial roots to cling to this support. It is not a parasite. Once planted, Vanilla starts flowering from the third year and continuous for the next 30-40 years.

The flowers gow in bunches on the axils of the leaves.The flowers are greenish yellow in color and bisexual. They bloom only for a day and only one or two flowers open in a day. They cannot self polinate.Vanilla is pollinated only by mexican bees/orchid bees and hummng birds naturally. In India and most other places its pollinated artficially by hands. Artificial fecundation is very important here as it has to be done on the same day as flower opening. The rostellum of the flower is lifted up using the bamboo splinter or a tooth pick ( appointed item) to open the stigma and the pollinia is pressed on to the stigma so that pollen grains fall on it. Now the fertilization process is over. . The flowers have a narrow bell surrounded by thin petals, which develops slowly over time into vanilla pods after successful pollination in about nine months.The unfertile flowers fall off in a day or two.

The used part of Vanilla is the ripe fruit also called the bean derived from the pollination of the flowers. These beans contain thousands of tiny seeds. Most of the fragrance resides in the seeds and the oily liquid surrounding the seeds

Vanilla Production stages to produce vanillin (Vanillin is mainly responsible for the fragrance, flavor and aroma of vanilla) are:
Harvest : Vanilla bean is green and odourless.It is harvested immature
Wilting : Stops further vegetative development of the fresh bean.The color starts chnaging to brown.
Sweating : Rasing the temperature of the beans, which helps generates vanillin and other compounds important to the final vanilla flavor.
Drying : Dried in the sun (cured from moisture/water content)
Conditioning : Temperature, humidity and gas composition and type of packaging are some important factors that determine bean quality in storage. Lastly it is sorted by quality and graded
Top quality beans are long, flexible, fleshy, chocolate brown in color and highly aromatic. In two to three months after conditioning, the beans are covered with small crystals of vanillin, which is secreted by the hair in the fine lining of the seedpods. The seedpods are then crushed and vanilla is extracted. The price of vanilla is mainly dependent on the success of the curing processes.

Vanilla in the form of essence flavors foods and beverages. Vanilla can also be used as a natural sweetener. Vanilla has medicinal uses too. It is used as an antacid, a stomach sedative (it settles a upset stomach). It is also an aromatic stimulant i.e. it can calm nerves, assist weight loss, lift spirits, and enhance romance.

To conclude It is a natural extract from Vanilla Orchid flowers. It is more than extracts and beans and our Kerala is fast emerging as a major Vanilla grower in India.
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