Natural Vanilla
Natural vanilla comes from the vanilla orchid, one of 35,000 varieties of orchid that grow only in certain areas of the globe, foremost among which is the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, the leading producer of natural vanilla. Orchids do not make the vanilla bean naturally; the human touch (or the Melipona bee) is needed to pollinate the flower, starting the 11/2-year process of this rare and unique spice. After 18 months, the yellow-white flowers begin to bloom, slowly maturing into slender beans or pods. Each orchid blossoms only one day a year, for several hours. The fruits must remain on the vine for nine months in order to completely develop their signature aroma. However, when the beans are harvested, they have neither flavor nor fragrance. They develop these distinctive properties during the long curing process.
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Famous quotes containing the words natural and/or vanilla:
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