Pearls of Wisdom #3 (Vanilla comes from orchids)

This Pearl of Wisdom is purely “Did you know?” It almost makes you feel like a city kid who thinks milk comes from some magic land to takes its place in the dairy section at the grocery store.

Vanilla beans come from a genus of orchid called—you guessed it—Vanilla. There are about 110 vanilla orchid species.

V. planifolia is the only orchid species (out of about 28,000) that produces fruit, also known as the pod. You may have heard the pod referred to as the “vanilla bean.”

FDA regulations require that anything labeled “pure vanilla extract” derives its flavor completely from vanilla beans. Using pure vanilla is so worth it.

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Why Is Vanilla So Expensive?

1. Growing vanilla beans is hard and it takes a long time.

In Madagascar, where over 80% of vanilla is produced, the flowers have to be pollinated by hand. The pods need several months to cure after harvesting. The whole process is time-consuming and labor-intensive.”

2. Farmers are having trouble keeping up with the high demand that resulted from the “all-natural movement.

Imitation vanilla took over the market a few decades ago because it was—and still is—easier and cheaper to produce than pure vanilla.

3. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent in areas that produce vanilla.

Since vanilla takes a long time to grow, one bad storm could wipe out

years of work. Some farmers have decided that it’s just not worth the

risk

4. People are stealing vanilla beans from farmers.

When a lot of people want something that’s relatively exclusive, others

will go to extreme and often illegal lengths to get it and sell it

themselves.

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Google Vanilla Comes From Orchids My Recipes