The aroma of vanilla accompanies us all our lives: from childhood we remember the smell of delicious vanilla buns, we associate youth with the perfume of a girlfriend or our own favorite aroma. Warmth and comfort emanates from each of these memories! Not so long ago, scientists found that the aroma that vanilla flowers exude, as well as the stronger smells obtained from the fruits of this plant, have a calming and calming effect on the human nervous system. When mankind learned about this plant, where does this flower grow and what conditions does it need? In this article we will try to talk about such a flower as a vanilla orchid, the photo of which is presented below, and also answer all the questions posed.
A bit of history
Vanilla originated in Central America, where it was highly valued by the Aztecs, who used it to improve their tastesacred drink - the prototype of modern chocolate.
The first European to taste this spice was Christopher Columbus, who was treated to a chocolate drink by a local ruler. It was Columbus who brought vanilla to Europe, where its delicate taste was first appreciated in countries such as Spain, Austria and Italy. The Spaniards, having fallen in love with the vanilla flavor and the profit received from the sale of the pods, took most of the tribute from the Mexican tribes precisely with the fruits that form after the vanilla flower has faded. For more than three centuries, the Spanish kingdom was the only importer and seller of vanilla in the Old World. Due to the high cost and complexity of delivery, other countries got acquainted with this spice a little later. So, at the beginning of the 17th century, vanilla began to be added to pastries, as well as to flavor smoking mixtures for pipes and alcoholic drinks with it.
Botanical Features
Vanilla, more precisely, the vanilla orchid is the only representative of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) that bears fruits that are actively used by humans. There are approximately 100 subspecies of this plant growing in the tropical regions of both hemispheres. To obtain vanilla on an industrial scale, only three species are grown:
- planifolia;
- pompona;
- tahitensis.
More on each of them later.
All vanillas are climbing vines, which in natural conditions can reach 40 meters. In nature, they parasitize on cocoa trees, and on plantationsthey install special props or plant dracaena trees next to them that do not suffer from such a neighborhood. Vanilla vines grow quite quickly, growth per month can reach up to a meter. The stem of vanilla is herbaceous, forming many aerial roots in the process of growth, helping the plant to cling to and stay on the trees. The leaves of these orchids are fleshy, oval-lanceolate in shape.
Large and very pleasantly smelling vanilla flowers, the photo of which can be seen below, are collected in brushes and painted in yellowish-green colors. The perianth consists of six petals, one of which is folded into a tube and forms a "lip" in which the pistil and a single stamen are hidden.
This structure of the flower makes it difficult to pollinate, which can only be carried out by local bees of the same species and hummingbirds.
Vanilla blooms in the third year of its life, while each flower lives only one day. The ovaries that form pollinated vanilla flowers develop for a very long time: from 7 to 9 months - and form a narrow, elongated cylindrical fruit 10 - 30 cm long. Inside the brown single-chamber box there are many brown-black small seeds. These plants bear fruit for quite a long time, from 20 to 50 years.
Views
Translated from Latin into Russian, Vanilla means "pod", and today three species of this plant are grown to produce the spice loved by many. It should be noted that vanilla flowers, which were found in Central America, served as the progenitors of all species used today.
Vanilla planifolia
So, Vanilla planifolia, the most common and the strongest and sweetest scented, is found in Central America, Indonesia, the Caribbean and Madagascar. The flowers of this species, which have an intense and delicate aroma, are artificially pollinated. The fruits of this plant, harvested by hand, are widely used in cooking and cosmetics.
Vanilla pompom
Less common and fragrant is the so-called Antillean vanilla - Vanilla pompona, grown in Mexico and Panama, as well as other Central American countries. This species is used in most cases in the form of extracts in the food industry.
Tahitian Vanilla
Another type of orchid whose fruits are used in cooking is the result of crossing Vanilla planifolia and pompona Tahitian vanilla - Vanilla tahitensis J. W. Moore. This plant is grown on the islands of French Polynesia, as well as in some other areas of the South Pacific. The pods of this species contain less vanillin, but more of another aromatic component - heliotropin. Thanks to him, Vanilla tahitensis has a softer and more delicate aroma with a predominance of fruity and floral notes. In addition to culinary uses, the beautiful and fragrant vanilla tahitensis flowers are grown to flavor and decorate various areas.
Where does it grow?
If originally vanilla grew only in some regions of Central America, today itgrown in many tropical countries. For normal growth and development, this plant needs a humid and hot climate. At the same time, plants need a temperature not higher than +300С and not lower than +150С and a humidity of about 80% is desirable. All types of vanilla are quite demanding on the soil: it must be loose and enriched with organic matter, well pass air and water.
Today, vanilla is cultivated in many countries located in regions from 10 to 20 degrees from the equator: in Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, the USA, the states of West Africa and the islands of French Polynesia.
