The Sacred Beginnings of a Divine Orchid
Hidden deep in the tropical rainforests of ancient Mexico, a remarkable orchid quietly changed the course of culinary history forever. Vanilla beans originated in Mesoamerica, particularly in present-day Mexico, where the indigenous Totonac people were the first to cultivate vanilla, cherishing its distinctive aroma and flavor.
According to Totonac mythology, vanilla was born from the forbidden love of a mortal and was possessed by queen Blue, a sacred place among the Totonacs. They believed that the vanilla orchid had mystical properties and considered it a precious gift from the gods. In the region of the Wayampi tribes, in French Guiana, many species of fragrant vanilla were used to make necklaces.
When Spanish Conquistadors Met Chocolate Dreams
Fernando Cortez arrived on April 22, 1519, off the coast of Veracruz. When Moctezuma saw Cortez, he imagined that he was none other than the priest-king, Quetzalcoatl. This case of mistaken identity would prove disastrous for the Aztecs but revolutionary for global cuisine.
As a welcome, they prepared a beverage called Tchocolatl, a vanilla chocolate. The Spanish were immediately captivated by the Aztecs’ Cacao and especially these exceptional pods with this extraordinary fragrance: Vanilla. Charles V would have the privilege of being the first king in Europe to taste this vanilla-based drink. There was immediate interest in this new fragrance, this aromatic, and from the beginning of the 17th century, vanilla was found in the cuisine of European courts.
The Mystery of the Missing Melipona Bees
The story of vanilla, or the Vanilla planifolia species, begins in the southwestern forests of Mexico. In its home country, the vanilla flower, a pale-yellow orchid, is primarily pollinated by the Melipona bee, another native of Mexico. Vanilla is very particular about its pollination; each flower must be pollinated within its 24-hour blooming period or the flower will die and fall off. All of the flowers could bloom on a different day, at a different time, so it keeps the Melipona bees very busy.
Vanilla can only be naturally pollinated by one specific bee, the Melipona Bee. The Spanish, French, Portuguese, and more attempted to replant the vanilla bean in other warm climes, but every time they failed to get fruits (pods or beans) on the plants, because they had forgotten the most important ingredient – pollination! This biological puzzle would stump European botanists for over half a century.
A 12-Year-Old Slave Changes Everything
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. This discovery by a child would literally reshape the global vanilla industry overnight.
It was Edmond Albius, at 12 years old, who discovered in 1841 in Réunion the process to pollinate a vanilla flower. The surname Albius was given to him at the abolition of slavery, in reference to the white color of the flower (Alba in Latin). Thanks to its pollination technique, the development of vanilla was able to take place on the island of Réunion. Today, the technique discovered by Edmond Albius remains the reference technique for pollinating each vanilla flower around the world.
Madagascar Becomes the Vanilla Kingdom
Vanilla was introduced to Nosy Be (a small island in the north of Madagascar) by planters from Reunion in the 1880s. Since then, its cultivation has spread to the eastern regions of the island, where the climate is similar to that of their region of origin. By 1898, Madagascar, Réunion, and the Comoros Islands produced 200 metric tons of vanilla beans, about 80% of world production in that year.
Undoubtedly the largest and most significant producer of vanilla beans in the world, Madagascar accounts for over 80% of the global vanilla market. The Sava region, particularly towns like Antalaha and Sambava, is the heart of vanilla cultivation in Madagascar. The bourbon vanilla variety (Vanilla planifolia) dominates Madagascar’s production, and its unique flavor profile makes it highly sought after by chefs and connoisseurs.
The Science Behind the Sweet Complexity
Natural vanilla extract is a mixture of several hundred different compounds in addition to vanillin. Artificial vanilla flavoring is often a ethanol solution of pure vanillin, usually of synthetic origin. Vanilla beans contain vanillin, which gives them antioxidant properties. This compound eliminates free radicals in the body that cause skin ageing.
After pollination, the vanilla beans begin to develop, growing from small green pods into the familiar dark brown, slender beans once fully cured. The cultivation process requires patience and expertise, as it can take several months for the beans to fully mature. Once harvested, the beans undergo a meticulous curing and drying process to bring out their rich, complex flavors and aromas.
When Vanilla Prices Went Completely Insane
Climate change, crime and speculation mean the price of the fragrant spice has skyrocketed from $20 a kilo five years ago to $515 in June. In a stark warning of climate change to come, a pair of tropical cyclones wiped out much of 2017’s Madagascan crop, sending prices higher than $600 a kilo. In June, vanilla cost $515 per kilo, not much less than silver – yes, you read that correctly.
The world’s market price for vanilla fluctuates dramatically. In 2003-2004, the price was as high as $500 per kilogram. Only a few years later, in 2008-2010, the price of a kilogram of vanilla had fallen to a fraction of that: just $20, showcasing the wild roller coaster ride that vanilla markets represent.
The Dark Side of Vanilla Gold
Extraordinary price rises in recent years have brought rising criminality including organised and violent thefts, money laundering and related corruption. A boom in vanilla prices – driven in part by low harvest years, rising demand for natural vanilla flavouring and speculation by intermediary buyers in the market – saw international vanilla prices increase tenfold between 2013 and 2018. At the peak of the boom in 2018, vanilla was traded internationally at prices higher than silver.
These days, vanilla theft is a big business in Madagascar. At a dollar per bean in one of the poorest countries of the world, farmers have had to contend with vanilla thieves who snatch the just-before-ripe pods straight from the vines knowing that they will fetch a decent price even if green. Vanilla farmers have been subjected to organised thefts of their prize crop, some of which have ended in violence, either with farmers killed attempting to protect their produce or would-be thieves being executed in forms of mob justice.
The Rise of Synthetic Vanilla Revolution
In 1874, the German scientists Ferdinand Tiemann and Wilhelm Haarmann deduced its chemical structure, at the same time finding a synthesis for vanillin from coniferin, a glucoside of coniferyl alcohol found in pine bark. Tiemann and Haarmann founded a company Haarmann and Reimer (now part of Symrise) and started the first industrial production of vanillin using their process (now known as the Reimer–Tiemann reaction) in Holzminden, Germany.
Today, approximately 15% of the world’s production of vanillin is still made from lignin wastes, while approximately 85% is synthesized in a two-step process from the petrochemical precursors guaiacol and glyoxylic acid. Today, around 88% of vanilla flavourings come from synthetic vanillin derived from crude oil, 11,5% is plant-based vanillin, and 0,5% comes from the vanilla bean. These statistics reveal just how rare authentic vanilla actually is in our modern world.
Uganda’s Surprising Vanilla Renaissance
In recent years, Uganda has emerged as a major player in the vanilla industry. The favorable tropical climate in certain regions of Uganda, such as the districts of Mbarara and Masaka, has encouraged farmers to adopt vanilla cultivation. Ugandan vanilla beans are known for their bold and fruity flavors, adding a distinctive touch to various culinary creations.
Unlike other growing regions, vanilla grown in Uganda can be harvested twice a year, in December and in June or July, due to the country’s distinct weather patterns. Although vanilla-pollinating bees do live in Uganda, they are too few and far between to be of much use, so Ugandan beans are hand-pollinated. This unique double-harvest advantage makes Uganda increasingly competitive in global markets.
