The History of Vanilla

Vanilla originally grew wild in the tropical forests of Mesoamerica. The Totonac people of modern-day Veracruz, Mexico are credited as the earliest growers of vanilla and the first to consume vanilla were the Maya, who used it to flavor a beverage made with cacao and other spices. The Aztecs later followed suit and used vanilla in their beverage called chocolatl. The Spanish conquerors arrived in 1519 and later brought vanilla plants back to Europe with them, but found that they never offered any seeds. In 1836, Belgian horticulturist Charles Morren realized that vanilla’s natural pollinator didn’t live in Europe, explaining the lack of pollination. Then in 1841, an enslaved boy on the island of Réunion named Edmond Albius developed a hand-pollination method for vanilla that is still in use today. The technique spread to Madagascar and then to the surrounding islands, eventually working its way back to Mexico, where it was used to augment the natural bee-pollinated vanilla harvest process there. Vanilla quickly exploded in popularity, making its way into cakes, ice cream, perfumes, and even medicines. However, farmers struggled to meet the demand — just like they do today. In fact, most vanilla consumed today is actually artificial vanilla flavoring. Natural vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world (after saffron) due to the intensive process of growing and harvesting it. The U.S. is the world’s largest importer of natural vanilla, consuming a total of over 638 million vanilla beans each year. Today, vanilla in both its natural and artificial form remains one of the most popular spices in the world.