Why One Island Grows 80%

of the World’s Vanilla

Madagascar dominates the vanilla industry…but how, when vanilla isn’t even native to the island?
The main source of vanilla is the Vanilla planiflolia orchid. Long cultivated in Mexico, the flavoring
from its long pods was used in rituals and in the traditional Aztec drink of ground, spiced chocolate.
As Spain’s conquistadors dismantled the Aztec empire in the 16th century, they sent Mexican silver,
chocolate, and vanilla back to Europe. Vanilla, with its floral, subtle taste, quickly became a favorite,
especially as an accompaniment to chocolate and cream. But when Europeans tried to grow it in
their botanical gardens and their colonies, the long pods didn’t develop. Vanilla’s main pollinator was
back in Mexico: the Melipona bee.
Without pollination, vanilla production was mostly limited to Mexico. But other regions were
desperate to grow valuable vanilla, and plants were shipped to likely climates around the world. In
1841, one young innovator figured out an unlikely solution
Edmond Albius was a 12-year-old French-owned
black slave from the Bourbon Islands, specifically
the French-controlled island of Réunion, in the
Indian Ocean. He figured out what other botanists
had tried to do for centuries. Albius discovered that
the vanilla plant could be pollinated by hand using a
blade of grass or a swipe of a thumb. It was
effective and labor-intensive, but once folks figured
out how to pollinate the plants, vanilla as a flavor
became more accessible. Mass vanilla production
suddenly became possible, especially in hot, humid
climates. Tiny Réunion fits the bill, but so does
another, much larger island a few hundred miles to
the west: Madagascar. The name Bourbon Vanilla
is still commonly used today.
The hand-pollinating technique he created is still used on vanilla plants today, which is one of the
reasons why pure vanilla flavor is still so expensive. The reason that Madagascar is still on top of the
vanilla game is grim: According to The Financial Times, it’s one of the few regions with the right
climate that is also poor enough to make laborious hand-pollination affordable. While other
countries, such as India, have dabbled in heavy vanilla production, huge swings in the international
price make it a dangerous crop to grow widely. Many farmers choose to stick to other crops. This
concentration of vanilla production makes the industry and prices even more precarious.
Vanilla has long been one of the world’s priciest
seasonings. Artificial vanillas have abounded for
centuries, made with everything from beaver pelvis
glands to petroleum products. But with demand for
natural flavors booming, high prices are inspiring
vanilla heists everywhere from farms in
Madagascar to spice companies in Michigan.
Though a little vanilla goes a long way, there’s no
sign that our craving for vanilla is going anywhere
soon.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/where-is-vanilla-grown?
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/03/23/291525991/when-vanilla-was-brown-and-how-
we-came-to-see-it-as-white