Botanical Name:
Vanilla planifolia
Andrews or vanilla
fragrans Common Name:
Vanilla Orchid Family:
Orchidaceae (orchid
family) Origin:
Mexico
Vanilla is a
flavouring that can
be derived from
orchids of the genus
Vanilla. It is a
product which finds
a great position
among the gourmet.
It is widely used
for both commercial
and domestic purpose
such as baking,
perfume creation and
aroma therapy.
Vanilla or vanilla
orchids are
flowering plant
genus. Among the
vanilla orchids, the
most widely known
member is the
Flat-leaved Vanilla.
It is the only
orchid widely that
is used in the food
industry and also in
the cosmetic
industry. The
botanical name of
Vanilla include
Vanilla fragrans
(Salisbury) Ames,
Vanilla planifolia
Andrews, Vanilla
pompona Schneider,
Vanilla tahitensis
Moore and the family
name is Orichidaceae.
However, in all
Indian languages and
dialects, it is
called Vanilla.
Description
The flavouring comes
from the seed pod,
or the ‘bean’ of the
vanilla plant. The
prepared beans are
very dark brown,
slender, pleated and
about 20 cm (8 in)
long. The bean is
tough and pliable,
quality vanilla
having a frosting of
crystal called givre.
The crystals contain
the active
ingredient
‘vanillin’ that
produces the
characteristic
fragrance and is
produced during the
process of induced
fermentation. These
pods are called
‘fine vanilla’.
‘Woody vanilla’ is
shorter, lighter
coloured,
uncrystallized,
stronger and
slightly bitter. All
beans contain
thousands of tiny
black seeds. Vanilla
extract is also
available and, if of
good quality, is
identical in flavour
to the pods.
Bouquet:
highly fragrant and
aromatic Flavour:
rich, full, aromatic
and powerful.
Madagascar and
Mexico making the
best quality.
Indonesian and
Tahitian vanilla is
weaker and
considered inferior.
Plant Description
and Cultivation
Vanilla is a
tropical climbing
orchid, with a long
green fleshy stem
that sprouts roots
that cling to trees
parasitically. Its
yellow or orange
orchidaceous flowers
grow in bunches,
which bloom one
flower each day,
opening one by one
during the two month
season. Vanilla is a
tropical crop and
cannot grow
naturally in
temperate climates.
When cultivated the
vines are trained
using posts and
support trees.
In nature they are
only pollinated by
Mexican bees and
hummingbirds that
are capable of
penetrating a tough
membrane that
separates the
plant’s pistol and
stamen. European
entrepreneurs had
transplanted vanilla
to grow in other
tropical locations
but could not get
them to produce the
pods. It wasn’t
until 1836 that a
botanist from
Belgium, Charles
Morren, recognized
that the flowers
were not being
pollinated and would
require some human
assistance. In 1841,
Edmond Albius, a
former slave, on the
French Island of
Réunion, perfected a
method to
artificially
fertilize the
short-lived vanilla
flower using a thin
bamboo skewer to
lift the membrane
and use his thumb to
smear the pollen.
This gave great
impetus to vanilla
bean husbandry, and
the method is still
used today.
The pods take about
nine months to
mature and are
harvested when the
tips begin to turn
from yellow. Until
recently, the curing
process was long and
complicated. The
beans are first
wrapped and
subjected to high
temperature and
humidity to ‘kill’
the vegetative life.
The next process
involves alternate
drying in the sun by
day and sweating by
night for several
days. At this point
the beans are dark,
oily and pliable and
are then slowly
dried in the shade
for up to two
months. They are
then sorted and
graded and placed in
chests for a further
conditioning period
of one or two
months.
Culinary Uses
There are three main
commercial
preparations of
natural vanilla :
* Whole bean
* Powder (pure
ground beans or
blended with sugar,
starch or other
ingredients),
* Extract (in
alcoholic solution)
Vanilla flavor in
creams, cakes and
other foodstuff may
be achieved by
adding some vanilla
extract or by
cooking vanilla
beans in the liquid
preparation. A
stronger aroma may
be attained if the
beans are split in
two; in this case,
the innards of the
beans (the seeds),
consisting of
flavorful tiny black
grains, are mixed
into the
preparation. Natural
vanilla gives a
brownish to
yellowish colour to
preparations,
depending on
concentration. Good
quality vanilla has
a strong aromatic
flavour, but
foodstuffs with
small amounts of low
quality vanilla or
artificial
vanilla-like
flavorings are far
more common, since
true vanilla is much
more expensive. One
major use of vanilla
is in flavoring ice
cream : the most
common flavour of
ice cream is
vanilla, and thus
most people consider
it to be the
"default" flavor. By
analogy, the term
"vanilla" is used as
a synonym for
"plain". In old
medicinal
literature, vanilla
is described as an
aphrodisiac and a
remedy for fevers,
but these purported
uses have never been
scientifically
proven. Methyl
vanillin is used by
the food industry as
well as ethyl
vanillin. The ethyl
is more expensive
but has a stronger
note. Cook's
Illustrated ran
several taste tests
pitting vanilla
against vanillin in
baked goods and
other applications,
and to the
consternation of the
magazine editors,
all tasters
preferred the flavor
of vanillin to
vanilla.
Medicine
Recent laboratory
research has
strengthened the
possibility that a
form of vanilla may
become a drug to
treat sickle cell
disease. It had been
known for 30 years
that vanillin, the
compound that gives
the vanilla bean its
flavour, protects
red blood cells with
sickle cell disease
from assuming the
sickle shape that
obstructs blood
vessels.
After specially bred
mice received a
compound that turns
into vanilla in the
body, they survived
five times longer
than mice that did
not receive the
chemical. All the
mice had been
subjected to low
oxygen pressure, a
condition that
causes their red
blood cells to form
the hazardous sickle
shape. Results of
the study, led by
research
haematologist Toshio
Asakura, M.D.,
Ph.D., of The
Children's Hospital
of Philadelphia,
appeared in the June
2004 issue of the
British Journal of
Haematology.
Health Benefits of
Vanilla
Vanilla is one of
the oldest and one
of the most
expensive spices as
well as one of the
most familiar, but
you don’t hear a lot
about it’s health
benefits. That’s
probably because it
is more important
for its flavoring
and aromatic uses.
Among the purported
health benefits of
vanilla by ancient
peoples was that it
could act as an
aphrodisiac. But it
wasn’t just ancient
peoples that thought
this, in the 1700’s
it was recommended
by physicians to be
drunk as an infusion
or tincture for the
purposes of male
potency. An article
written by the
German physician in
1762 claimed that
342 impotent men
were changed into
astonishing lovers
from drinking
vanilla decoctions.
In modern times,
aromatherapy tests
were done on
different aromas and
the one that most
men were aroused by
was vanilla. There
is some controversy
over whether this
arousal was
gastronomic or
sexual. Even so,
vanillin does have
anti-oxidant
properties. Yet
there are less
expensive and more
effective means of
getting antioxidants
(fish oil, omega-3).
While not a lot of
testing has been
done on vanilla
regarding any
specific health
benefits, it is
classed as a
vanilloid along with
capsaicin contained
in chile peppers and
eugenol contained in
cloves - both of
which have numerous
medicinal properties
and health benefits.
Some nutritionists
have conjectured
that vanilla might
be a mild help in
preventing cancer1.
On the negative
side, persons with
Gilbert's Syndrome
should avoid
consuming vanilla,
as many have
experienced
debilitating effects
from its ingestion
Preparation and
Storage
Vanilla
extract is made by
percolating alcohol
and water through
chopped, cured
beans, somewhat like
making coffee.
Vanilla extract is
very powerful, a few
drops sufficing for
most uses. Vanilla
bean is a bit more
time consuming to
use than the
extract, but imparts
the stongest vanilla
flavour without the
alcohol of extract.
To flavour a liquid
base for creme
sauces, puddings,
ice creams, etc.,
allow one bean per
pint to steep in the
liquid by boiling
and allowing to cool
for an hour before
removing the bean.
This can be repeated
a few times if the
bean is washed after
use, dried and kept
airtight. Ground
vanilla can also be
used, but use half
as much and leave in
the liquid. Many
recipes call for
slitting the bean
lengthwise and
scraping out the
tiny black seeds.
Airtight storage is
necessary, otherwise
the aroma will
dissipate. A good
way to store whole
vanilla is to bury
it in sugar. Use a
jar with a
tight-fitting lid
that will hold about
a pound of sugar,
burying the bean so
that no light can
reach it. After 2 -3
weeks the sugar
tastes of vanilla
and can be used in
coffee or in other
recipes and the bean
can be removed for
other uses and
returned to the
sugar after
cleaning. Keep
topping up the
sugar.
Vanilla extracts
are in great demand
in India. The
vanilla flavour can
be extracted with
alcohol. The colour
of the extract
depends upon the
strength of the
alcohol used,
duration of
extraction and the
presence of
glycerin. Dark
coloured extract is
obtained from dry
beans and the
presence of glycerin
deepens the colour
of the extract.
Vanilla extract is
either stored in
stainless, aluminum
or glass containers.
When it is kept for
25 to 30 days, the
aroma is improved
due to formation of
esters from acids in
the presence of 42
to 45 percent
alcohol. The vanilla
extract mixed with
sugar and made into
a powder is called
`powdered vanilla`
or vanilla sugar.
This has great
demand in commercial
market round the
globe. Use of
vanilla as source of
medicine is
practically
forgotten. It is
most popular as a
flavouring agent
known all over the
world.
History
Vanilla was a highly
regarded flavoring
in Pre-Columbian
Mesoamerica, and was
brought back to
Europe (and from
there the rest of
the world) by the
Spanish
Conquistadors. In
ancient Mexico the
Totonac people were
regarded as the
producers of the
best vanilla. The
Totonac are from the
region that is now
known as the state
of Veracruz (Papantla,
Mexico, holds itself
out as the origin of
vanilla). They
continued to be the
world's chief
producers of the
flavoring through
the mid 19th
century. At that
time, French vanilla
growers in Mexico
traded their
knowledge of
artificial
pollination of
flowers for the
Totonac knowledge of
preparing the beans.
The Coca-Cola
Corporation is the
world's largest
customer of natural
vanilla extract.
When New Coke was
introduced in 1985,
the economy of
Madagascar crashed,
and only recovered
after New Coke
flopped. The reason
was that New Coke
used vanillin, a
less expensive
synthetic
substitute, and
purchases of vanilla
more than halved
during this
period.[citation
needed] The market
price of vanilla
rose dramatically in
the late 1970s due
to a typhoon. Prices
stayed stable at
this level through
the early 1980s due
to the pressure of
recently introduced
Indonesian vanilla.
In the mid 1980s the
cartel that had
controlled vanilla
prices and
distribution since
its creation in 1930
disbanded. Prices
dropped 70% over the
next few years to
nearly $20 USD per
kilo. This changed
due to typhoon
Huddah, which struck
early in the year
2000. The typhoon,
political
instability, and
poor weather in the
third year drove
vanilla prices to an
astonishing $500 USD
per kilo in 2004. A
good crop coupled
with decreased
demand have pushed
the market price
down to the $40 per
kilo range in the
middle of 2005.
Finest Vanilla
Quality
Taj agroproducts
is proud to offer
the finest Organic
Certified Vanilla
products from
Madagascar for the
food & beverage,
nutraceutical,
cosmetic and
aromatherapy
industries. Our
vanilla is the
preferred choice of
chefs, bakers,
confectioners and
ice cream
manufacturers who
require premium
quality in their
kitchens. We are the
only company
producing Pure
Ground Vanilla
Beans, pulverized
into uniform
particles for
convenient use.
Packaging
We also provide
reliable packaging
of the cardamom seed
oil and other
cardamom products.
During the packaging
procedure, we keep
the hygienic level
high and also ensure
that there is no
human touch.
Moreover, the
packaging has also
helped in the easy
and safe delivery of
the products.
We are dealing with
various esteemed
clients located in
India as well as in
the markets of New
Zealand and Dubai.
We also promise to
serve a superlative
range of cardamom
and cardamom
products which
includes green
cardamom powder to
our new customers as
we serve to our
existing satisfied
clientele. The
frequent and
concrete feedbacks
from our customers
have also helped in
the advancement of
the managerial
activities and
serving the products
as per the demand
prevailing in the
market. Last but not
the least; we are
also looking forward
to provide more
beneficial deals in
the forthcoming
years.
Vanilla
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2008, www.tajagroproducts.com All rights reserved.