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Vanilla is a climbing
orchid cultivated for its pleasant flavour. It is one
of the few contributions of the western hemisphere to
the world of spices. Over 50 species described, only three
are important species as sources of natural vanillin,
which are Vanilla planifollia Andrews, Vanilla pompona
Shiede and Vanilla tahitensis J.W. Moore. Of these, Vanilla
planifolia is the most preferred and commercially cultivated.
Pods (beans) are subjected to curing process to produce
the characteristic aroma. The substance chiefly responsible
for the unique fragrance and flavour of the vanilla bean
is vanillin(C8 H8 03).
Among the food flavours, vanilla
has a prime position. Vanilla essence is largely used
in foods in the preparation of ice creams, chocolates,
bakery products, puddings, pharmaceuticals, liquors
and perfumes. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice
traded in the world market.
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The vanilla flavour industry was
based on the processed beans of the vanilla plants.
With the advent of chemical technology to produce vanillin/
ethyl vanillin, these synthetic substitutes have taken
over the use of vanilla beans. However, natural vanillin
is still the most preferred food flavour.
Vanilla fragrans (Salisbury)
ames (Syn. V.planifolia)
Family:
Orchidaceae
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| Description |
| Vanilla is the fully grown
fruit of the orchid Vanilla fragrans. Vanilla is indigenous
to South-Eastern Mexico, Gautemala and other parts of
Central America, growing wild as a climber in the forests.
Vanilla cultivation on a systematic basis began with the
introduction of it into Java,Seychelles, Tahiti, Comoro
Islands, Martinique, Madagascar, Uganda etc. in the 19th
century and early part of the 20th century. At present
Malagasy Republic is the major producer of vanilla. It
was introduced in India in 1835. It is now cultivated
in very limited areas in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu.
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| Botany |
Vanilla is a fleshy, herbaceous
perennial vine, climbing by means of adventitious roots
on trees or other supports. The roots are long, whitish,
aerial, about 2mm in diameter and are produced singly
opposite the leaves. The roots at the base ramify in the
humus or mulch layer. The long, cylindrical, monopodial
stem (1-2 cm dia) is simple or branched, succulent and
brittle. It is dark green and photosynthetic with stomata.
The internodes are 5-15 cm in length. Large, flat, fleshy,
subsessile leaves are alternate, oblong-elliptic to lanceolate
and are 8-25 cm long and 2-8 cm broad. The veins are numerous,
parallel and indistinct. The petiole is short and thick.
They are borne toward the top of the vine and are 5-8
cm long with upto 20-30 flowers, opening from the base
upwards.
The flowers are large, waxy, fragrant, pale greenish-yellow
and are about 10 cm in diameter. Pedicel short, tricarpillary
ovary inferior, cylindrical, sepals three, oblong-lanceolate,
obtuse to subacute, slightly reflexed at the apex. Two
upper petals resemble the sepals in shape. The lower petal
is modified as a trumpet-shaped labellum or lip. The tip
of the lip is obscurely three-lobed and is irregularly
toothed on its revolute margin. Dark coloured papillae
form a crest in the median line. The gynostemium is long,
hairy on the inner surface, bearing at its tip the single
stamen. The concave sticky stigma is separated from the
stamen by a thin, flap-like rostellum because of which
self pollination is impossible. The fruit is a pendulous,
narrowly cylindrical and obscurely three-angled capsule,
known as bean. It contains ripe myriads of very minute
globose seeds of about 0.3 mm in diameter. |
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| Distribution |
| Vanilla is strictly tropical
in its requirements. It thrives well in hot and humid
climate, from sea level to an elevation of about 900 m.
A temperature range of 10-30oC and an annual rainfall
of 150-250 cm are its optimum requirements. It grows well
in well-drained sandy loams and alluvial and laterite
soils having plenty of organic matter. It requires light
shade and support for climbing and putting forth satisfactory
growth. It is generally propagated through shoot cuttings,
planted at a spacing of 2.5 m either way, in pits measuring
45 x 30 x 30 cm. |
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| Cultivation |
| Vanilla is harvested when the
pods are mature and split longitudinally. Fresh beans
get the characteristic aroma due to enzymatic action during
curing. The enzyme b-glucosidase act on the precursor
glucovanillin which result in the harvested beans are
subjected to a process of nightly sweating and daily exposure
to the sun for about 10 days until they become deep chocolate-brown
in colour. Then they are spread on trays in an airy shelter
until dry enough for grading. The best grade may be covered
with tiny crystals of vanillin. This coating is known
as givre. |
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| Aroma and flavour |
| The fragrance and flavour of
vanilla is due to numerous compounds produced during the
curing process, among which vanillin is the most abundant.
Other compounds are vanillic acid and an oleoresin. |
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| Culinary, medicinal and
other use |
| Vanilla is world's most popular
flavourant for numerous sweetened foods, several commercial
food products, liquors, perfumes etc. Vanilla extracts
or essence are extracted with alcohol and contains the
aroma and flavour principles and sweetening/thickening
agents. They are widely used as a flavouring par excellence
for ice creams, soft drinks, chocolates, confectionary,
candy, tobacco, baked foods, puddings, cakes, cookies,
liquors, and in perfumery. Vanilla sugar is a mixture
of vanilla extracts and sugar. Vanilla tincture is used
for pharmaceutical uses. Of late technical grade vanillin
is used as a chemical intermediate in the production of
a number of pharmaceutical products. |
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Botanical Name:
Vanilla planifolia Andrews (V.fragrans salisb.)
Family Name:
Orchidaceae
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Name in international
languages
Spanish:
Vainilla
French:
Vanille
German:
Vanille
Swedish:
Vanilj
Arabic:
Wanilla
Dutch:
Vanille
Italian:
Vaniglia
Portuguese:
Baunilia
Russian:
Vanil
Japanese:
Banira
Chinese:
Hsiang - Tsao |
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