Vanilla was originally found only in Mexico where it was pollinated by a type of bee called the Melipona and very small hummingbirds. Vanilla plants are now pollinated by hand in a time consuming process, making it a very expensive product.

Stolen here, stolen there, stolen everywhere!

The history of vanilla is really a study in culinary thievery. Mexico's Totonaca Indians considered vanilla a gift from the gods. So, naturally, when the Aztec Indians conquered the Totonacas, they seized their vanilla plants. Years later the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez conquered the Aztecs and , you guessed it, stole their vanilla beans and shipped them back to Europe. At that point, nobody really "stole" vanilla any longer, likely because the rich and royal were too busy mixing vanilla beans with cacao into a tasty drink that was enjoyed for over eighty years.

So long Mexico...

You'd think that Mexico would still produce a far amount of vanilla, but, today, it only contributes a small fraction of the world's vanilla supply. The world's largest producers are Indonesia and Madagascar, which is renowned for its Madagascar Bourbon vanilla.

Just the Facts...and a Bottle or Two, Please

For more on the history of vanilla, visit The VanillaCOMpany.com — truly the mecca of vanilla information. They've also got a great shop where you can buy some of the world's most prized vanilla extracts.

For those looking for fun facts, visit Nielsen-Massey Vanillas where you'll learn that fisherman hide their scent from fish by rubbing their hands with vanilla. Imagine that.

© 2008 Kleine Bayern. All Rights Reserved.