Description
Vanilla, is a climbing monocot (Vanilla Planifolia Andrews) of the Orchid family. Vanilla plants have a long, fleshy climbing stem that attaches to trees by aerial rootlets. Flowers are 6 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, either yellowish green or white. The fruit produced is known as ‘beans’ or ‘pod’ and is a capsule, nearly cylindrical and about 20 cm long. As soon as they turn golden green at the base, the unripe pods are harvested.
It is a native of Atlantic Coast from Mexico to Brazil. The important vanilla producing countries are Madagascar, Mexico, Tahiti, Malagasy Republic, Comoro, Reunion, Indonesia, Seychelles and India. Four major types of vanilla beans are the Bourbon Vanilla (grown in Madagascar, Camoros and Reunion), the Java Vanilla (grown in the island Java in Indonesia), the Bourbon-like Vanilla (grown in the island Bali in Indonesia) and the Mexican Vanilla (grown mainly in Mexico).
