Vanilla from Mexico

How to Enjoy Mexican Vanilla?

The complex aroma of this Vanilla planifolia recalls an aged bourbon. It pairs perfectly with a flan, a crème brûlée, homemade jam, or a creamy sauce. Split your pod in half to retrieve the precious seeds before adding them to custard, homemade rice pudding, a chocolate dessert, homemade sorbet, macaron batter, or a simple pancake batter.

A Few Recipe Ideas Using Mexican Vanilla

• - Vanilla Crème Brûlée: Infuse the vanilla in hot cream, mix the egg yolks with sugar, add the vanilla cream, pour into ramekins, bake in a water bath, refrigerate, then sprinkle with brown sugar and caramelize;
• - Vanilla Ice Cream: Infuse the vanilla in hot milk, mix the egg yolks with sugar, add the cream and vanilla milk, cool, then churn in an ice cream maker;
• - Vanilla Panna Cotta with Red Fruit Coulis: Infuse the vanilla in hot cream, then dissolve the gelatin. Mix with sugar, pour into molds, refrigerate, serve with a red fruit coulis;
• - Vanilla Tart with Exotic Fruits: Prepare a vanilla pastry cream, spread on a baked shortcrust pastry, arrange sliced or diced exotic fruits, refrigerate before serving;
• - Vanilla Coffee: Infuse the vanilla in hot coffee, serve in cups with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.

The Sweet Flavors of Mexican Vanilla

This vanilla stands out for its warm and woody notes, combined with delicate floral nuances. It also has hints of caramel and chocolate, as well as a subtle sweetness that envelops the palate. Mexican vanilla pods are often plump and juicy, offering a velvety texture and unmatched depth of flavor.

Mexico, Birthplace of Vanilla Cultivation.

Mexican vanilla is obtained from the Vanilla planifolia orchid. This climbing orchid produces long pods, called "vanilla beans," which are harvested before full maturity and then subjected to a fermentation and drying process to develop their characteristic aromas. Vanilla cultivation requires a tropical environment, with warm temperatures and high humidity. In Mexico, vanilla is often grown in regions close to the coast where the climate is conducive to its growth. The pollination of the vanilla flower is a delicate process that is often done manually, contributing to the rarity and value of this prized spice.

The Origins of Vanilla

Vanilla originates from Mexico, where the Aztecs used it to sweeten the bitterness of chocolate. The Totonac people, inhabitants of the coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico, were the first to cultivate vanilla. They called vanilla "caxixanath," which means "hidden flower." The Totonacs kept the monopoly on vanilla cultivation until the 19th century, with all European attempts to grow the pods outside its original birthplace resulting in failure.

King Louis XIV fell in love with vanilla and wanted to cultivate it on Bourbon Island, Réunion. However, all attempts during his reign failed. No one knew how to fertilize vanilla outside its native area. Europeans were unaware that it was the Mexican bee Melipona responsible for pollination. It wasn't until 1850 that a slave from Réunion, Edmond Albius, discovered a way to manually pollinate the flower. As a token of gratitude, the young man was emancipated. He took the name Albius as a symbol of freedom, referring to the white (alba) color of the orchid. Vanilla cultivation was later introduced around 1880 on Nosy Be Island in Madagascar.