Where does vanilla come from?

Vanilla comes from something called a “vanilla bean” or a “vanilla pod”. While they don’t look very much like other fruits that you’re used to seeing, these very special vanilla pods are the fruit of a type of orchid plant! Inside of a vanilla pod are small vanilla beans. These beans become the flavour and smell you know as vanilla once they go through special drying and processing, known as fermentation. Vanilla extract ,the liquid vanilla flavouring, is made by crushing and mixing the beans. Sometimes, recipes will also call for using the beans or pods themselves. Most vanilla is grown in places with warm weather, like Madagascar, China , and Indonesia. Vanilla from different countries have slightly different tastes just like grapes. Factors including the type of soil, the amount of sunlight , and of course pesticides and chemicals— all result in different tastes but also the drying process, which can take upto nine months, is a major factor. Madagascar is one of the few countries that itself takes pride on the quality of its vanilla. Other countries that produce vanilla include India, Uganda, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea , Malaysia, Tonga, Fiji, Tahiti, Costa Rica , China and the Philippines.