Vanilla

Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily

obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (V. planifolia).
The word vanilla, derived from vainilla, the diminutive of the Spanish word
vaina (vaina itself meaning a sheath or a pod), is translated simply as "little
pod". Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people cultivated the vine of the vanilla
orchid, called tlīlxochitl by the Aztecs.

Pollination is required to make the plants produce the fruit from which the
Vanilla planifolia, flower
vanilla spice is obtained. In 1837, Belgian botanist Charles François Antoine
Morren discovered this fact and pioneered a method of artificially pollinating
the plant. The method proved financially unworkable and was not deployed
commercially. In 1841, Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old slave who lived on the
French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, discovered that the plant could
be hand-pollinated. Hand-pollination allowed global cultivation of the plant.
Noted French botanist and plant collector Jean Michel Claude Richard falsely
claimed to have discovered the technique three or four years earlier. By the
end of the 20th century, Albius was considered the true discoverer.

Three major species of vanilla currently are grown globally, all of which
derive from a species originally found in Mesoamerica, including parts of
modern-day Mexico. They are V. planifolia (syn. V. fragrans), grown on
Madagascar, Réunion, and other tropical areas along the Indian Ocean; V.
tahitensis, grown in the South Pacific; and V. pompona, found in the West
Indies, Central America, and South America. The majority of the world's
vanilla is the V. planifolia species, more commonly known as Bourbon
vanilla (after the former name of Réunion, Île Bourbon) or Madagascar
vanilla, which is produced in Madagascar and neighboring islands in the
southwestern Indian Ocean, and in Indonesia. Madagascar’s and Indonesia’s
cultivations produce two-thirds of the world's supply of vanilla.

Vanilla is the second-most expensive spice after saffron because growing the Dried vanilla beans
vanilla seed pods is labor-intensive. Nevertheless, vanilla is widely used in
both commercial and domestic baking, perfume manufacture, and
aromatherapy.

Contents
History
Etymology
Biology
Vanilla orchid
Cultivars
Chemistry
Cultivation
Propagation, preparation and type of stock
Tissue culture
Scheduling considerations
Pollination
Pest and disease management
Artificial vanilla
Nonplant vanilla flavoring
Harvest
Curing
Killing
Sweating
Drying
Conditioning
Grading
Production
Uses
Contact dermatitis
Gallery
References
Further reading
External links

History
According to popular belief, the Totonac
people, who live on the east coast of
Mexico in the present-day state of
Veracruz, were among the first people to
cultivate vanilla, during the era of the
Aztec Empire (around the 15th
century).[1] Aztecs invading from the
central highlands of Mexico conquered
the Totonacs, and developed a taste for Drawing of the Vanilla plant from the Florentine Codex (c. 1580) and
the vanilla pods. They named the fruit description of its use and properties written in the Nahuatl language
tlilxochitl, or "black flower", after the
matured fruit, which shrivels and turns
black shortly after being picked. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés is credited with introducing both vanilla
and chocolate to Europe in the 1520s.[2]

Until the mid-19th century, Mexico was the chief producer of vanilla.[3] In 1819, French entrepreneurs
shipped vanilla fruits to the islands of Réunion and Mauritius in hopes of producing vanilla there. After 1841,
when Edmond Albius discovered how to pollinate the flowers quickly by hand, the pods began to thrive.
Soon, the tropical orchids were sent from Réunion to the Comoros Islands, Seychelles, and Madagascar, along
with instructions for pollinating them. By 1898, Madagascar, Réunion, and the Comoros Islands produced 200
metric tons of vanilla beans, about 80% of world production in that year. According to the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization 2019 data, Madagascar, followed by Indonesia, were the largest producers
of vanilla in 2018.[4]

After a tropical cyclone ravaged key croplands, the market price of

vanilla rose sharply in the late 1970s and remained high through the
early 1980s despite the introduction of Indonesian vanilla. In the mid-
1980s, the cartel that had controlled vanilla prices and distribution
since its creation in 1930 disbanded.[5] Prices dropped 70% over the
next few years, to nearly US$20 per kilogram; prices rose sharply
again after tropical cyclone Hudah struck Madagascar in April
2000.[6] The cyclone, political instability, and poor weather in the
third year drove vanilla prices to US$500/kg in 2004, bringing new
countries into the vanilla industry. A good crop, coupled with Vanilla cultivation
decreased demand caused by the production of imitation vanilla,
pushed the market price down to the $40/kg range in the middle of
2005. By 2010, prices were down to $20/kg. Cyclone Enawo caused a similar spike to $500/kg in 2017.[7]

An estimated 95% of "vanilla" products are artificially flavored with vanillin derived from lignin instead of
vanilla fruits.[8]

Etymology
Vanilla was completely unknown in the Old World before Cortés arrived in Mexico. Spanish explorers
arriving on the Gulf Coast of Mexico in the early 16th century gave vanilla its current name. Portuguese sailors
and explorers brought vanilla into Africa and Asia later that century. They called it vainilla, or "little pod".[9]
The word vanilla entered the English language in 1754, when the botanist Philip Miller wrote about the genus
in his Gardener’s Dictionary.[10] Vainilla is from the diminutive of vaina, from the Latin vagina (sheath) to
describe the shape of the pods.[11]

Biology

Vanilla orchid

The main species harvested for vanilla is V. planifolia. Although it is native to Mexico, it is now widely grown
throughout the tropics. Indonesia and Madagascar are the world's largest producers. Additional sources include
V. pompona and V. tahitiensis (grown in Niue and Tahiti), although the vanillin content of these species is
much less than V. planifolia.[12][13][14]

Vanilla grows as a vine, climbing up an existing tree (also called a tutor), pole, or other support. It can be
grown in a wood (on trees), in a plantation (on trees or poles), or in a "shader", in increasing orders of
productivity. Its growth environment is referred to as its terroir, and includes not only the adjacent plants, but
also the climate, geography, and local geology. Left alone, it will grow as high as possible on the support, with
few flowers. Every year, growers fold the higher parts of the plant downward so the plant stays at heights
accessible by a standing human. This also greatly stimulates flowering.

The distinctively flavored compounds are found in the fruit, which results from the pollination of the flower.
These seed pods are roughly a third of an inch (8 mm) by six inches (15 cm), and brownish red to black when
ripe. Inside of these pods is an oily liquid full of tiny seeds.[15] One flower produces one fruit. V. planifolia
flowers are hermaphroditic: they carry both male (anther) and female (stigma) organs. However, self-
 V. planifolia – flower

pollination is blocked by a membrane which separates those organs.

Despite various claims otherwise, the only pollinators definitively
documented to date are orchid bees in the genus Eulaema,[16] and all Vanilla extract displays its distinctive
commercial vanilla production takes place via hand pollination by color.
humans. The first vanilla orchid to flower in Europe was in the
London collection of the Honourable Charles Greville in 1806.
Cuttings from that plant went to Netherlands and Paris, from which the French first transplanted the vines to
their overseas colonies. The vines grew, but would not fruit outside Mexico. Growers tried to bring this bee
into other growing locales, to no avail. The only way to produce fruits without the bees is artificial pollination.
Today, even in Mexico, hand pollination is used extensively.

In 1836, botanist Charles François Antoine Morren was drinking coffee on a patio in Papantla (in Veracruz,
Mexico) and noticed black bees flying around the vanilla flowers next to his table. He watched their actions
closely as they would land and work their way under a flap inside the flower, transferring pollen in the
process. Within hours, the flowers closed and several days later, Morren noticed vanilla pods beginning to
form. Morren immediately began experimenting with hand pollination.[17] The method proved financially
unworkable and was not deployed commercially.[18] A few years later in 1841, a simple and efficient artificial
hand-pollination method was developed by a 12-year-old slave named Edmond Albius on Réunion, a method
still used today.[19] Using a beveled sliver of bamboo,[20] an agricultural worker lifts the membrane separating
the anther and the stigma, then, using the thumb, transfers the pollinia from the anther to the stigma. The
flower, self-pollinated, will then produce a fruit. The vanilla flower lasts about one day, sometimes less, so
growers have to inspect their plantations every day for open flowers, a labor-intensive task.

The fruit, a seed capsule, if left on the plant, ripens and opens at the end; as it dries, the phenolic compounds
crystallize, giving the fruits a diamond-dusted appearance, which the French call givre (hoarfrost). It then
releases the distinctive vanilla smell. The fruit contains tiny, black seeds. In dishes prepared with whole natural
vanilla, these seeds are recognizable as black specks. Both the pod and the seeds are used in cooking.

Like other orchids' seeds, vanilla seeds will not germinate without the presence of certain mycorrhizal fungi.
Instead, growers reproduce the plant by cutting: they remove sections of the vine with six or more leaf nodes, a
root opposite each leaf. The two lower leaves are removed, and this area is buried in loose soil at the base of
support. The remaining upper roots cling to the support, and often grow down into the soil. Growth is rapid
under good conditions.

Cultivars
 Bourbon vanilla or Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla, produced from
V. planifolia plants introduced from the Americas, is from Indian
Ocean islands such as Madagascar, the Comoros, and Réunion,
formerly named the Île Bourbon. It is also used to describe the
distinctive vanilla flavor derived from V. planifolia grown successfully
in tropical countries such as India. However, there is no Bourbon
whiskey in Bourbon vanilla extract, despite common confusion about
this.
Mexican vanilla, made from the native V. planifolia,[21] is produced
in much less quantity and marketed as the vanilla from the land of its
origin.
Tahitian vanilla is from French Polynesia, made with V. tahitensis.
Genetic analysis shows this species is possibly a cultivar from a
hybrid of V. planifolia and V. odorata. The species was introduced by A bottle of vanilla extract
French Admiral François Alphonse Hamelin to French Polynesia
from the Philippines, where it was introduced from Guatemala by the
Manila Galleon trade.[22] It comprises less than one percent of vanilla production and is only
grown by a handful of skilled growers and preparers.[23]
West Indian vanilla is made from V. pompona grown in the Caribbean and Central and South
America.[24]

The term French vanilla is often used to designate particular preparations with a strong vanilla aroma,
containing vanilla grains and sometimes also containing eggs (especially egg yolks). The appellation originates
from the French style of making vanilla ice cream with a custard base, using vanilla pods, cream, and egg
yolks. Inclusion of vanilla varietals from any of the former French dependencies or overseas France may be a
part of the flavoring. Alternatively, French vanilla is taken to refer to a vanilla-custard flavor.

Chemistry

Vanilla essence occurs in two forms. Real seedpod extract is a complex

mixture of several hundred different compounds, including vanillin,
acetaldehyde, acetic acid, furfural, hexanoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde,
eugenol, methyl cinnamate, and isobutyric acid.[25] Synthetic essence consists
of a solution of synthetic vanillin in ethanol. The chemical compound vanillin
(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) is a major contributor to the
characteristic flavor and aroma of real vanilla and is the main flavor
component of cured vanilla beans.[26] Vanillin was first isolated from vanilla
pods by Gobley in 1858.[27] By 1874, it had been obtained from glycosides Chemical structure of
of pine tree sap, temporarily causing a depression in the natural vanilla vanillin
industry. Vanillin can be easily synthesized from various raw materials, but the
majority of food-grade (> 99% pure) vanillin is made from guaiacol.

Cultivation
In general, quality vanilla only comes from good vines and through careful production methods. Commercial
vanilla production can be performed under open field and "greenhouse" operations. The two production
systems share these similarities:

Plant height and number of years before producing the first grains
Shade necessities
 Amount of organic matter needed
A tree or frame to grow around (bamboo, coconut or Erythrina
lanceolata)
Labor intensity (pollination and harvest activities)[28]

Vanilla grows best in a hot, humid climate from sea level to an elevation of
1,500 m. The ideal climate has moderate rainfall, 1,500–3,000 mm, evenly
distributed through 10 months of the year. Optimum temperatures for
cultivation are 15–30 °C (59–86 °F) during the day and 15–20 °C (59–68 °F)
during the night. Ideal humidity is around 80%, and under normal greenhouse
conditions, it can be achieved by an evaporative cooler. However, since
greenhouse vanilla is grown near the equator and under polymer (HDPE)
netting (shading of 50%), this humidity can be achieved by the environment. Vanilla tahitensis in
Most successful vanilla growing and processing is done in the region within cultivation
10 to 20° of the equator.

Soils for vanilla cultivation should be loose, with high organic matter content and loamy texture. They must be
well drained, and a slight slope helps in this condition. Soil pH has not been well documented, but some
researchers have indicated an optimum soil pH around 5.3.[29] Mulch is very important for proper growth of
the vine, and a considerable portion of mulch should be placed in the base of the vine.[30] Fertilization varies
with soil conditions, but general recommendations are: 40 to 60 g of N, 20 to 30 g of P2 O5 and 60 to 100 g of
K2 O should be applied to each plant per year besides organic manures, such as vermicompost, oil cakes,
poultry manure, and wood ash. Foliar applications are also good for vanilla, and a solution of 1% NPK
(17:17:17) can be sprayed on the plant once a month. Vanilla requires organic matter, so three or four
applications of mulch a year are adequate for the plant.

Propagation, preparation and type of stock

Dissemination of vanilla can be achieved either by stem cutting or by tissue culture. For stem cutting, a
progeny garden needs to be established. All plants need to grow under 50% shade, as well as the rest of the
crop. Mulching the trenches with coconut husk and micro irrigation provide an ideal microclimate for
vegetative growth.[31] Cuttings between 60 and 120 cm (24 and 47 in) should be selected for planting in the
field or greenhouse. Cuttings below 60 to 120 cm (24 to 47 in) need to be rooted and raised in a separate
nursery before planting. Planting material should always come from unflowered portions of the vine. Wilting
of the cuttings before planting provides better conditions for root initiation and establishment.[28]

Before planting the cuttings, trees to support the vine must be planted at least three months before sowing the
cuttings. Pits of 30 × 30 × 30 cm are dug 30 cm (12 in) away from the tree and filled with farm yard manure
(vermicompost), sand and top soil mixed well. An average of 2000 cuttings can be planted per hectare (2.5
acres). One important consideration is that when planting the cuttings from the base, four leaves should be
pruned and the pruned basal point must be pressed into the soil in a way such that the nodes are in close
contact with the soil, and are placed at a depth of 15 to 20 cm (5.9 to 7.9 in).[30] The top portion of the cutting
is tied to the tree using natural fibers such as banana or hemp.

Tissue culture

Tissue culture was first used as a means of creating vanilla plants during the 1980s at Tamil Nadu University.
This was the part of the first project to grow V. planifolia in India. At that time, a shortage of vanilla planting
stock was occurring in India. The approach was inspired by the work going on to tissue culture other
flowering plants. Several methods have been proposed for vanilla tissue culture, but all of them begin from
axillary buds of the vanilla vine.[32][33] In vitro multiplication has also been achieved through culture of callus
masses, protocorms, root tips and stem nodes.[34] Description of any of these processes can be obtained from
the references listed before, but all of them are successful in generation of new vanilla plants that first need to
be grown up to a height of at least 30 cm (12 in) before they can be planted in the field or greenhouse.[28]

Scheduling considerations

In the tropics, the ideal time for planting vanilla is from September to November, when the weather is neither
too rainy nor too dry, but this recommendation varies with growing conditions. Cuttings take one to eight
weeks to establish roots, and show initial signs of growth from one of the leaf axils. A thick mulch of leaves
should be provided immediately after planting as an additional source of organic matter. Three years are
required for cuttings to grow enough to produce flowers and subsequent pods. As with most orchids, the
blossoms grow along stems branching from the main vine. The buds, growing along the 6 to 10 in (15 to
25 cm) stems, bloom and mature in sequence, each at a different interval.[31]

Pollination
External video
Flowering normally occurs every spring, and without pollination, the
blossom wilts and falls, and no vanilla bean can grow. Each flower Hand Pollination of Vanilla
must be hand-pollinated within 12 hours of opening. In the wild in Planifolia Flowers (https://www.yout
the New World, the only organisms ever observed to carry Vanilla ube.com/watch?v=1RdoTcDD2EU),
pollen are orchid bees in the genus Eulaema, though direct evidence YouTube video
documenting seed set is lacking.[16] Claims that pollination is
achieved by stingless bees of the genus Melipona or hummingbirds
have never been substantiated, though they do visit the flowers.[16] Even within the range of orchid bees, wild
vanilla orchids have only a 1% chance of successful pollination. As a result, all vanilla grown today is
pollinated by hand. A small splinter of wood or a grass stem is used to lift the rostellum or move the flap
upward, so the overhanging anther can be pressed against the stigma and self-pollinate the vine. Generally, one
flower per raceme opens per day, so the raceme may be in flower for over 20 days. A healthy vine should
produce about 50 to 100 beans per year, but growers are careful to pollinate only five or six flowers from the
20 on each raceme. The first flowers that open per vine should be pollinated, so the beans are similar in age.
These agronomic practices facilitate harvest and increases bean quality. The fruits require five to six weeks to
develop, but around six months to mature. Over-pollination results in diseases and inferior bean quality.[30] A
vine remains productive between 12 and 14 years.

Pest and disease management

Vanilla is susceptible to many fungal and viral diseases. Fusarium, Sclerotium, Phytophthora, and
Colletrotrichum species cause rots of root, stem, leaf, bean, and shoot apex. Development of most diseases is
favoured by unsuitable growing conditions such as overwatering, insufficient drainage, heavy mulch,
overpollination, and too much shade. Fungal diseases can be controlled by spraying Bordeaux mixture (1%),
carbendazim (0.2%) and copper oxychloride (0.2%).

Biological control of the spread of such diseases can be managed by applying to the soil Trichoderma (0.5 kg
(1.1 lb) per plant in the rhizosphere) and foliar application of pseudomonas (0.2%). Mosaic virus, leaf curl, and
cymbidium mosaic potex virus are the common viral diseases. These diseases are transmitted through the sap,
so affected plants must be destroyed. The insect pests of vanilla include beetles and weevils that attack the
flower, caterpillars, snakes, and slugs that damage the tender parts of shoot, flower buds, and immature fruit,
and grasshoppers that affect cutting shoot tips.[30][31] If organic agriculture is practiced, insecticides are
avoided, and mechanical measures are adopted for pest management.[28] Most of these practices are
implemented under greenhouse cultivation, since such field conditions are very difficult to achieve.

Artificial vanilla

Most artificial vanilla products contain vanillin, which can be produced synthetically from lignin, a natural
polymer found in wood. Most synthetic vanillin is a byproduct from the pulp used in papermaking, in which
the lignin is broken down using sulfites or sulfates. However, vanillin is only one of 171 identified aromatic
components of real vanilla fruits.[35]

The orchid species Leptotes bicolor is used as a natural vanilla replacement in Paraguay and southern Brazil.

In 1996 the US Food and Drug Administration cautioned that some vanilla products sold in Mexico were
made from the cheaper tonka bean which as well as vanillin also contains the toxin coumarin. They advised
consumers to always check the ingredients label and avoid suspiciously cheap products.[36]

Nonplant vanilla flavoring

In the United States, castoreum, the exudate from the castor sacs of mature beavers, has been approved by the
Food and Drug Administration as a food additive,[37] often referenced simply as a "natural flavoring" in the
product's list of ingredients. It is used in both food and beverages,[38] especially as vanilla and raspberry
flavoring, with a total annual U.S. production of less than 300 pounds.[38][39] It is also used to flavor some
cigarettes and in perfume-making, and is used by fur trappers as a scent lure.

Harvest

Harvesting vanilla fruits is as labor-intensive as pollinating the blossoms.

Immature, dark green pods are not harvested. Pale yellow discoloration that
commences at the distal end of the fruits is not a good indication of the
maturity of pods. Each fruit ripens at its own time, requiring a daily harvest.
"Current methods for determining the maturity of vanilla (Vanilla planifolia
Andrews) beans are unreliable. Yellowing at the blossom end, the current
index, occurs before beans accumulate maximum glucovanillin
concentrations. Beans left on the vine until they turn brown have higher
glucovanillin concentrations but may split and have low quality. Judging bean
maturity is difficult as they reach full size soon after pollination. Glucovanillin
accumulates from 20 weeks, maximum about 40 weeks after pollination.
Mature green beans have 20% dry matter but less than 2% glucovanillin."[40] A vanilla plantation in a
The accumulation of dry matter and glucovanillin are highly correlated.To forest of Réunion Island
ensure the finest flavor from every fruit, each individual pod must be picked
by hand just as it begins to split on the end. Overmatured fruits are likely to
split, causing a reduction in market value. Its commercial value is fixed based on the length and appearance of
the pod.

If the fruit is more than 15 cm (5.9 in) in length, it is categorized as first-quality. The largest fruits greater than
16 cm (6.3 in) and up to as much as 21 cm (8.3 in) are usually reserved for the gourmet vanilla market, for sale
to top chefs and restaurants. If the fruits are between 10 and 15 cm long, pods are under the second-quality
category, and fruits less than 10 cm (3.9 in) in length are under the third-quality category. Each fruit contains
thousands of tiny black vanilla seeds. Vanilla fruit yield depends on the care and management given to the
hanging and fruiting vines. Any practice directed to stimulate aerial root production has a direct effect on vine
productivity. A five-year-old vine can produce between 1.5 and 3 kg (3.3 and 6.6 lb) of pods, and this
production can increase up to 6 kg (13 lb) after a few years. The harvested green fruit can be commercialized
as such or cured to get a better market price.[28][30][31]

Curing

Several methods exist in the market for curing vanilla; nevertheless, all of them consist of four basic steps:
killing, sweating, slow-drying, and conditioning of the beans.[41][42]

Killing

The vegetative tissue of the vanilla pod is killed to stop the vegetative growth of the pods and disrupt the cells
and tissue of the fruits, which initiates enzymatic reactions responsible for the aroma. The method of killing
varies, but may be accomplished by heating in hot water, freezing, or scratching, or killing by heating in an
oven or exposing the beans to direct sunlight. The different methods give different profiles of enzymatic
activity.[43][44]

Testing has shown mechanical disruption of fruit tissues can cause curing processes,[45] including the
degeneration of glucovanillin to vanillin, so the reasoning goes that disrupting the tissues and cells of the fruit
allow enzymes and enzyme substrates to interact.[43]

Hot-water killing may consist of dipping the pods in hot water (63–65 °C (145–149 °F)) for three minutes, or
at 80 °C (176 °F) for 10 seconds. In scratch killing, fruits are scratched along their length.[44] Frozen or quick-
frozen fruits must be thawed again for the subsequent sweating stage. Tied in bundles and rolled in blankets,
fruits may be placed in an oven at 60 °C (140 °F) for 36 to 48 hours. Exposing the fruits to sunlight until they
turn brown, a method originating in Mexico, was practiced by the Aztecs.[43]

Sweating

Sweating is a hydrolytic and oxidative process. Traditionally, it consists of keeping fruits, for 7 to 10 days,
densely stacked and insulated in wool or other cloth. This retains a temperature of 45–65 °C (113–149 °F) and
high humidity. Daily exposure to the sun may also be used, or dipping the fruits in hot water. The fruits are
brown and have attained much of the characteristic vanilla flavor and aroma by the end of this process, but still
retain a 60-70% moisture content by weight.[43]

Drying

Reduction of the beans to 25–30% moisture by weight, to prevent rotting and to lock the aroma in the pods, is
always achieved by some exposure of the beans to air, and usually (and traditionally) intermittent shade and
sunlight. Fruits may be laid out in the sun during the mornings and returned to their boxes in the afternoons, or
spread on a wooden rack in a room for three to four weeks, sometimes with periods of sun exposure. Drying is
the most problematic of the curing stages; unevenness in the drying process can lead to the loss of vanillin
content of some fruits by the time the others are cured.[43]

Conditioning
Conditioning is performed by storing the pods for five to six months
in closed boxes, where the fragrance develops. The processed fruits
are sorted, graded, bundled, and wrapped in paraffin paper and
preserved for the development of desired bean qualities, especially
flavor and aroma. The cured vanilla fruits contain an average of 2.5%
vanillin.

Grading
Grading vanilla beans at Sambava,
Madagascar
Once fully cured, the vanilla fruits are sorted by quality and graded.
Several vanilla fruit grading systems are in use. Each country which
produces vanilla has its own grading system,[46] and individual
vendors, in turn, sometimes use their own criteria for describing the quality of the fruits they offer for sale.[47]
In general, vanilla fruit grade is based on the length, appearance (color, sheen, presence of any splits, presence
of blemishes), and moisture content of the fruit.[46][48] Whole, dark, plump and oily pods that are visually
attractive, with no blemishes, and that have a higher moisture content are graded most highly.[49] Such pods
are particularly prized by chefs for their appearance and can be featured in gourmet dishes.[47] Beans that
show localized signs of disease or other physical defects are cut to remove the blemishes; the shorter fragments
left are called "cuts" and are assigned lower grades, as are fruits with lower moisture contents.[48] Lower-
grade fruits tend to be favored for uses in which the appearance is not as important, such as in the production
of vanilla flavoring extract and in the fragrance industry.

Higher-grade fruits command higher prices in the market.[46][48] However, because grade is so dependent on
visual appearance and moisture content, fruits with the highest grade do not necessarily contain the highest
concentration of characteristic flavor molecules such as vanillin,[50] and are not necessarily the most
flavorful.[47]

Example of a Vanilla fruit grading system, used in Madagascar[46][51][52][53][54]

Approximate
Grade Color Appearance / feel moisture
content†
Black dark brown to black supple with oily luster > 30%
TK (Brown, or dark brown to black sometimes with a few
like Black but dryer/stiffer 25–30%
Semi-Black) red streaks
Red Fox
(European brown with reddish variegation a few blemishes 25%
quality)
Red American similar to European red but more
brown with reddish variegation 22–25%
quality blemishes and dryer/stiffer
short, cut, and often split fruits, typically
Cuts
with substandard aroma and color

† moisture content varies among sources cited

A simplified, alternative grading system has been proposed for classifying vanilla fruits suitable for use in
cooking:[47]
 Simplified vanilla fruit grading system for cooks
Grade A / 15 cm and longer, 100–120 fruits per Also called "Gourmet" or "Prime". 30–35% moisture
Grade I pound content.
Grade B /
10–15 cm, 140–160 fruits per pound Also called "Extract fruits". 15–25% moisture content.
Grade II
Grade C /
10 cm
Grade III

Under this scheme, vanilla extract is normally made from Grade B fruits.[47]

Production
Vanilla production—2018
In 2018, world production of vanilla was 7,575 tonnes, led by
Madagascar with 41.0% of the total, and Indonesia with 29.8% Country
Production
(table). Due to drought, cyclones, and poor farming practices in (tonnes)

Madagascar, there are concerns about the global supply and costs of Madagascar 3,102
vanilla in 2017 and 2018.[56][57] The intensity of criminal enterprises
Indonesia 2,259
against Madagascar farmers is high, elevating the worldwide cost of
using Madagascar vanilla in consumer products.[58] Mexico 495

Papua New Guinea 493

Uses China 459

The four main commercial preparations of natural vanilla are: All others 767
World 7,575
Whole pod
Source: FAOSTAT[55]
Powder (ground pods, kept pure or blended with sugar,
starch, or other ingredients)[59]
Extract (in alcoholic or occasionally glycerol solution; both pure and
imitation forms of vanilla contain at least 35% alcohol)[60]
Vanilla sugar, a packaged mix of sugar and vanilla extract

Vanilla flavoring in food may be achieved by adding vanilla extract or by

cooking vanilla pods in the liquid preparation. A stronger aroma may be attained
if the pods are split in two, exposing more of a pod's surface area to the liquid. In
this case, the pods' seeds are mixed into the preparation. Natural vanilla gives a
brown or yellow color to preparations, depending on the concentration. Good-
quality vanilla has a strong, aromatic flavor, but food with small amounts of low-
quality vanilla or artificial vanilla-like flavorings are far more common, since true A vanilla powder
vanilla is much more expensive. preparation made from
sucrose and vanilla bean
Regarded as the world's most popular aroma and flavor,[61][62][63] vanilla is a extracts
widely used aroma and flavor compound for foods, beverages and cosmetics, as
indicated by its popularity as an ice cream flavor.[64] Although vanilla is a prized
flavoring agent on its own, it is also used to enhance the flavor of other substances, to which its own flavor is
often complementary, such as chocolate, custard, caramel, coffee, and others. Vanilla is a common ingredient
in Western sweet baked goods, such as cookies and cakes.[63][6] Despite the expense, vanilla is highly valued
for its flavor.[65]
The food industry uses methyl and ethyl vanillin as less-expensive substitutes for real vanilla. Ethyl vanillin is
more expensive, but has a stronger note. Cook's Illustrated ran several taste tests pitting vanilla against vanillin
in baked goods and other applications, and to the consternation of the magazine editors, tasters could not
differentiate the flavor of vanillin from vanilla;[66] however, for the case of vanilla ice cream, natural vanilla
won out.[67] A more recent and thorough test by the same group produced a more interesting variety of results;
namely, high-quality artificial vanilla flavoring is best for cookies, while high-quality real vanilla is slightly
better for cakes and significantly better for unheated or lightly heated foods.[68] The liquid extracted from
vanilla pods was once believed to have medical properties, helping with various stomach ailments.[69]

Vanilla rum, Madagascar

Contact dermatitis
The sap of most species of vanilla orchid which exudes from cut
stems or where beans are harvested can cause moderate to severe
dermatitis if it comes in contact with bare skin. The sap of vanilla
orchids contains calcium oxalate crystals, which are thought to be the
main causative agent of contact dermatitis in vanilla plantation
workers.[70][71]

Gallery
Illustration of allergic contact
dermatitis
A vanilla planting in an open A vanilla planting in a "shader"
field on Réunion (ombrière) on Réunion

Flower Green fruits

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Further reading
Ecott, Tim (2004). Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Luscious Substance. London: Penguin, New
York: Grove Atlantic
Rain, Patricia (2004). Vanilla: The Cultural History of the World's Favorite Flavor and
Fragrance. New York: J. P. Tarcher/Penguin.

External links
"Vanilla" (https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Encyclopedia_Americana_(1920)/Vanilla).
Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.
Kew Species Profile: Vanilla planifolia (vanilla) (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.
org:names:262578-2)
History, Classification and Lifecycle of Vanilla planifolia (http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/
ruud_kirs/)
Spices at UCLA History & Special Collections (http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/inde
x.cfm?displayID=27)
Vanilla and Extracts (https://curlie.org/Shopping/Food/Seasonings/Vanilla_and_Extracts) at
Curlie
"The Present State of the West-Indies: Containing an Accurate Description of What Parts Are
Possessed by the Several Powers in Europe" (http://www.wdl.org/en/item/4397/view/1/27/) by
Thomas Kitchin, 1778, in which Kitchin discusses vanilla
"Vanillanomics - Watching global market forces at work in the far reaches of Madagascar" (http
s://www.bloomberg.com/features/2019-economics-of-vanilla-markets-madagascar/) by
Bloomberg Businessweek, December 2019

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