Conventional Ceylon Vanilla Pods

Vanilla fragrans is important source of natural vanilla.It is used as a flavor ingredient in the confectionary and also in perfume and pharmaceutical industry. Vanilla is an economically important crop as it is the source of natural vanillin. It is believed that vanilla is indigenous to north eastern Mexico. It is ancient Totonaco Indians of Mexico who were the first keepers of the secrets of vanilla. When they were defeated by the Aztecs they were demanded to relinquish their exotic fruit, vanilla pods. Later Aztecs were defeated by the Spanish and Spaniard Hernando Cortez, the Spanish mariner, returned to Spain with the precious plunder vanilla beans which were combined with cacao to make an unusual and pleasing drink. For eighty years this special beverage was only enjoyed by the nobility and the very rich. Then in 1602 Hugh Morgan, Apothecary to Queen Elizabeth I, suggested that vanilla could be used as a flavoring all by it self and versatility of the exotic bean was finally uncovered. However only in 1858 Gobley was able to isolate vanillin from vanilla pods. Today vanilla is grown by Madagaskar, Indonesia, Mexico, Thahiti and few other countries including Sri Lanka as a commercial crop.