Vanilla

The queen of spices.

The vanilla vine comes from the orchid family and can grow up to 30 m high. Originally from the Mexican rainforest, the majority of vanilla today is grown on Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean. Their 20 cm long fruits, usually called pods, are harvested shortly before ripening and then dried and fermented through various complex procedures, causing the vanilla pods to shrink into their familiar dark brown vanilla sticks - the queen of spices.

Use

The first to uncover the secret of cultivating vanilla through artificial pollination were the Totonacs, an indigenous people of Mexico. Like the Maya, they used vanilla as a perfume, medicine and aphrodisiac. The Maya particularly enjoyed drinking a mixture of vanilla and cocoa, to which other spices were often added. Today, vanilla beans are still chewed in Mexico as a sexual enhancer. Introduced to Europe by the Spaniards, the sensual properties of vanilla were quickly recognized there too. They were sewn into scented sachets to increase sexual strength as well as to mask unpleasant body odours. Today the vanilla is used in many ways as an aromatic component of many foods and beverages such as chocolate, puddings, creams and ice cream as well as being used as an ingredient in meat and fish dishes. The traditional use of vanilla to flavour schnapps and liqueurs should not be overlooked.

Vanilla plantation

Ingredients

The characteristic scent of vanilla is only released through the fermentation of the pod. In addition, the vanilla contains the piperonal related to the vanillin as well as fats, essential oils, fruit acids, tannins, mucilage and generous amounts of coumarin.

Effect

In addition to its body-strengthening, nerve-calming and mood-enhancing properties, vanilla is of course known and popular above all for its erotically stimulating power. Vanillin is chemically related to the pheromones that people give off when they are sexually aroused. Vanilla is also used as a brain tonic.

Vanilla planifolia - Illustration

Side effects

No risks or side effects are known.