Vanilla (Vanilla Planifolia)

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Category Balsamic

Sweet, balsamic, spicy, tobacco.

Vanilla is native to Central America, but is now mainly grown in Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico, the Comores, Tahiti and China.

Vanilla belongs to the orchid family; it is a climbing plant that clings to trees by means of small hook-like appendages.
Its greenish-white flowers produce a fruit that takes 8 or 9 months to ripen.
The cloves are collected just before they ripen and then undergo a 34-month maturation process.
As their aroma mellows, vanilla crystals begin to appear.

Vanilla dyes, absolutes and resinoids are widely utilized. Vanilla is used to best effect in the making of oriental perfumes.
Vanilla is also used to flavor pharmaceutical products and a variety of foodstuffs such as ice cream, yogurt and chocolate.

The Aztecs used vanilla cloves to flavor a cocoa-based beverage.
Mexican vanilla was introduced and used in Europe in the 15th century and was soon exported to the colonies for cultivation.

The smell of vanilla stimulates ambition and boosts physical and intellectual activity.
It strengthens the willpower and helps to fight lethargy.