Between hand-pollination and a drying and curing process that can take more than a year, vanilla remains the world’s most labor-intensive crop. Serious weather events in equatorial regions can, however, wipe out an entire crop. Such factors make vanilla beans one of the most expensive spices in the world, second only to saffron. On today’s market, high-quality Titian Vanilla beans can retail for $450 per pound.
To bypass the vagaries of labor and weather, Synthetic vanillin was first produced a in laboratory from pine bark in the 1870s. Later waste from papermills and byproduct of coal production some of the became the primary raw materials in artificial vanilla.
Meanwhile, naturally-grown vanilla beans are brought to market often only through the labor of women and children, and vanilla farm families live in poverty while exporters become rich. Since the late nineteenth century, "Vanilla rustling,” (also known as theft) continues to be a serious problem in some vanilla producing regions, leading some growers with more resources to mark their ripening beans with distinctive “brands” scratched in the bean with pins or knives.
Many of these issues are discussed by Patricia Rain, “the vanilla queen” blogger and cookbook author, who also sells fair-trade, sustainable, and eco-humane vanilla. She also aims to educate the public about the cultural and economic pressures of the global vanilla trade. Her blog can be found at https://vanillaqueen.com/.
Despite their unglamorous appearance, the vanilla orchid plant remains a popular novelty with serious orchid enthusiasts who maintain large hothouse collections. Even the hobbist, though, can buy small potted starts of vanilla orchids on various internet sites. For less than $40, you too can get a start of a vanilla planifolia in a 2-inch pot!
Finally, I recommend two books about vanilla history and botany. For a longer read, you can find Tim Ecott’s book Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchid wherever books are sold, and for middle school readers, check out this young adult biography: The True Story of Vanilla: How Edmond Albius Made History. Story by Ann Richards and richly illustrated by Arden Taylor.
Watch for upcoming episodes about vanilla’s ancient Mesoamerican past and the use of vanilla and other spices, herbs and flavorings in perfumes.