TTTTRUE Fact #1

:Vanilla:

One of the primary sources for vanilla flavourings comes from vanilla pods ( Incorrectly called beans).

These pods are harvested from the fruit of the vanilla orchid ( Vanilla Planifolia ).

These Orchids are native to the mid-southern part of Mexico but are also harvested in Madagascar and come in many varieties such as Flat-leaved Vanilla, Tahitian Vanilla and West Indian Vanilla.

In the 16th century the Aztecs used vanilla to accent the flavour of their chocolate drinks. Emperor Moctezuma II introduced vanilla to the Spanish explorer Cortés, who brought it back to Europe and introduced it to the european aristocracy where it grew in popularity.

In 1602, a chemist for Queen Elizabeth I, suggested that vanilla could be used alone as a flavouring.

Like All members of the genus Vanilla, Vanilla Planifolia is a vine and it's large fleshy roots support itself as it grows. The flowers of the Vanilla Orchid are a greenish yellow and last only one day and must be pollinated manually during the morning in order for it to bear fruit. If pollination does not occur, the flower perishes and falls off of the next day.