Once you know its story, you could never call vanilla plain. Its mysterious fragrance, redolent of its tropical origins, is used by parfumiers for its allure and by hospitals for its deeply calming effect. Its complex flavor, impossible to tire of, makes vanilla, decade in and decade out, by far the most popular ice cream and gives every kind of food, from chocolate bars to lobster, richness and depth. It is the second-most costly spice on earth after saffron. The entire process of vanilla cultivation, pollination and harvesting is done by hand, without using machinery, chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Vanilla is the most labor-demanding agricultural product in the world that is why it is so expensive. Vanilla is grown commercially in Madagascar, Mexico, Indonesia, and Tahiti. Only two species - Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla tahitensis are grown for commercial use as a flavoring or fragrance. It grows best in the moist, tropical regions of the world 15-1/2 degrees to the north and south of the Equator. It is the only edible fruit of the entire orchid family, which includes approximately 25,000 orchid varieties and over 10,000 hybrids. It is a member of the orchid family, the largest and oldest family of flowering plants in the world. Vanilla planifolia commonly known as Vanilla comes from the long, greenish-yellow seedpods of a fragrant tropical vanilla orchid and is native to Mesoamerica – Mexico and Guatemala.
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