Vanilla

Vanilla is obtained from and orchid plant with climbing gnarly stems.

Although the vanilla flower is very aromatic, the fleshy pods from which the plant grows don’t have any aroma until they are dried and cured.

The pod usually measures between 15 and 23 cm long; it’s thin with many small seeds. They are picked when they are still green, but they go brown when cured and their external surface gets wrinkly.

Only a 2% of vanilla is obtained from each pod, the aromatic essential oil used to give flavour to a lot of foods.

Vanilla plants are grown extensively in hot and moist areas.