Why Vanilla is the Second Costliest Spice in the World

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Why Vanilla is the Second Costliest Spice in the
World Have you ever wondered why vanilla beans
are the second costliest spice in the world?
That is because from where it can be grown, to
how to make vanilla extract, the whole journey
is time-consuming, delicate and needs years of
training. So, take this journey and you will have
a new respect for the vanilla in your pantry.
Cultivation The ideal climate to grow vanilla is
a warm, humid climate with rich well-drained
soil. The plant can grow from either seedlings or
cutting. The first one is better because they
are more resilient and adaptive to changing
environments, but they grow slowly. The plants
need a lot of space so cant be planted closely.
The plant also needs regular care from pruning
to providing support as it is a climbing vine.
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Pollination The reason why Europeans couldnt
grow vanilla in Europe even in conservatories
because only a specific kind of bee found in
Mexico could pollinate the flower. This is why a
botanist suggested hand pollination, but even
that was not successful so much until a slave on
the island of Bourbon (now Reunion) mastered it.
Today, vanilla is pollinated by hand, either by
the traditional method of using a small stick to
transfer pollen or by using the modern method of
using a pollinating gun that shoots pollen.
Whichever it is, pollination of vanilla takes
time manpower, and years of training before one
can do it successfully. Harvesting and
curing Vanilla plants start production after
three years of planting. The fruits look like
long beans and are green in colour. When they
turn yellow, then only can it be harvested. The
pods are delicate and need to be harvested by
hand. Once it is harvested, it needs to be dried
before the distinctive vanilla smell and colour
is seen. The drying or curing process can be
done in four different ways. The traditional
method is sun drying but needs constant attention
and produces the best results. The second is
drying it in a dehydrator which can be done in a
few days and doesnt need that much attention.
However, the resulting vanilla beans have a
burnt or smokey flavour. The third is
fermentation where the pods are wrapped in
banana leaves and left to ferment for two weeks.
Like sun drying, the result is great but needs
lots of attention. Last is the freeze drying
where the beans are frozen and then vacuum
sealed. The resulting vanilla beans have a
slightly different flavour than those done by
traditional method, but it has a consistent
taste and smell. Extraction Vanilla can be used
in the form of vanilla pods after the curing
process. The best ones are those which have been
aged for at least three months. Vanilla pods or
beans are sold in vacuum-sealed packets so that
their flavour and smell remain intact. As for
extraction, there are two ways of doing it.
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The first method is by using alcohol, and it is
the most common method. The pods or beans are
soaked in alcohol which dissolves the flavour
compounds in vanilla. It is then evaporated and
what is left is vanilla extract. Ethanol or
propylene glycol can also be used as a solvent
in this process. Higher-quality extract is done
by using carbon dioxide under high pressure.
This is called supercritical CO2 extraction, and
it is expensive. So, you see from planting to
extraction, vanilla beans need the utmost care,
attention, and human resources. This is why it is
one of the costliest spices in the world. To
explore more visit www.neugininaturals.com.au