Vanilla

Out of the 20,000 Orchid varieties in the world, vanilla is the only orchid that is used as a food additive. Scientifically known as Vanilla Planifolia, the spice is native to Mexico and Central America. Vanillin is the main component found in Vanilla which emphasizes its flavor and pleasing fragrance. The commercial value of vanilla beans is also determined based on their aroma and flavor. Vanilla is available in the form of beans, powder, paste, extract, and oil.

The second most expensive spice in the world, Vanilla is indigenous to Mexico, where the flowers are naturally pollinated by small Melipona honey bees and two species of hummingbirds native to Mexico.

This strictly unique pollination method of vanilla flower provided Mexico with a 300-year-long monopoly over the global vanilla trade until manual pollination was first discovered by a 12-year-old slave named Edmond Albius in the now Mauritius Islands.

Like with other orchid varieties vanilla seeds do not germinate without mycorrhizal fungi. Therefore, vanilla cultivators in Sri Lanka and around the world grow and reproduce the plant by cutting.

Vanilla Cultivation in Sri Lanka 

Vanilla is a comparatively new crop to be established in Sri Lanka. Of the four vanilla cultivars commercially cultivated in the world, Sri Lankan natural vanilla cultivators, like others in the Indian Ocean, produce Bourbon vanilla or Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla derived from the Vanilla Planifolia species.

Around 2000 farmers in Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Badulla, and Galle are engaged in the cultivation of Vanilla in Sri Lanka.

Vanilla grows well 1000m above sea level in Sri Lanka, under mild temperatures and 2000-2500 mm rainfall, and thrives under shade away from direct sunlight. Considered to be a delicate crop that requires a labour-intensive process to grow and pollinate, the slow adoption of Vanilla as a cash crop is also due to the 6 to 1 weight loss when producing cured vanilla beans from green beans.

Sri Lankan vanilla farmers on average produce around 1.5 metric tons of hand-cured vanilla beans which are consumed locally and exported to Poland, New Zealand, Italy, Singapore, and Argentina. Locally grown vanilla contains 1.50% of Vanillin which gives it a gentler flavor and a smokiness compared to other vanilla varieties in the global market.

Sri Lankan vanilla exporters have also introduced products like vanilla-infused virgin coconut oil, vanilla tea, and bee honey with natural vanilla and vanilla vinegar to the global market. Other than the value-added vanilla products, the local vanilla suppliers also export natural vanilla extractions, vanilla beans, vanilla pods, vanilla paste, and vanilla sugar.

Uses of Vanilla 

Natural Vanilla is available in four main preparations, namely; whole pod, powder or grounded pods, vanilla extracts, vanilla sugar, or vanilla oleoresins. It is widely used in the food and beverage and personal care industries

Food and Beverage Industry 

One of the most popular food flavorings in the world, natural vanilla extracts, power, and pod are widely used in the food and beverage industry. Bourbon vanilla is used in a wide range of food and beverages across the world from confectionaries, baked goods, and pastries to chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and tea. Vanilla’s ability to enhance the other flavors and add a sweet fragrance makes it a versatile addition to any dish or dessert.

Personal Care & Cosmetic Industry

Although natural vanilla absolutes and vanilla oleoresins are rarely used in personal care and the cosmetic industry to manufacture candles, soaps, and other scented specialty merchandise most of the high street products tend to contain synthetic vanillin due to the very high price of natural vanilla absolute,

Benefits of Vanilla 

•	Helps Weight Loss - Vanilla is known to act as a natural appetite suppressant that improves metabolism. Aromatherapy treatment done with vanilla essence can reduce the craving for a sweet tooth.
•	Relieves toothache - Vanillin, the organic compound found in natural vanilla acts as a painkiller and germicide, helping to reduce the pain caused by tooth decay
•	Relieves Depression and Anxiety - Aromatherapy treatment is done with vanilla essence and has been found to relieve stress and anxiety to bring temporary relief from claustrophobia, stress, and anxiety attacks.