Vanilla is one of the most expensive spices in the world. However, few people know that the whole process of cultivation and processing takes several months. Our vanilla comes from the island of Mauritius and is vanitus tahitensis. Its teats are fuller, flesher and much more aromatic than the classic vanilla bourbon.
 This was thanks to the French who first brought vanilla orchids to Mauritius from Mexico in 1819. Due to a shortage of bees, the pollination of this flower did not start as expected, but in 1839 only 12-year-old slave Edmond Albius of Réunion came up with a unique pollination method. Orchid flowers have since been pollinated by hand. It takes 9 months for the vanilla teat to grow. Subsequently, the green teats are harvested, steamed in 65 degree water and later exposed to sieves which are placed in sunlight to dry. After a week, the chocolate-brown teats are sorted by length into bundles and then stored in "wooden boxes" for several months to release essential oils and aromas. Cultivation as well as the processing itself is very demanding for the right timing. I have visited the plantations repeatedly and if you want to see more, I invite you to take a walk through the documentary on the way