Vanilla Spices In Kerala
Kerala Backwater tours of the Spice Plantations of Kerala, show you the exotic spices grown in the spice gardens. Some of these spices such as cardamom and pepper are native to India. Other spices have been brought here and grown commercially in the spice plantations of Kerala. One such spice that has been introduced to India and is now grown in Kerala is Vanilla. You can see Vanilla being grown and processed in the spice plantations of Kerala on tours of Kerala with Kerala Backwater. The characteristic flavor of Vanilla is extracted from the seedpods of the Vanilla plant. The ancient Aztecs of Mexico used Vanilla to flavor their beverages. It was brought back to Europe by Spanish explorers including Hernan Cortez, who drank a vanilla flavored chocolate drink at the court of the Aztec Emperor Montezuma. Vanilla gained popularity in Europe and is widely used in cookery, baking and the manufacture of perfumes and toiletries. You can see Vanilla being grown and harvested on Kerala tours of the spice plantations of Kerala with Kerala Backwater. The botanical name of the Vanilla plant is Vanilla planifolia or Vanilla tahitensis depending on whether it is a Vanilla plant of Mexican or Polynesian origin. The plant is a tropical climbing orchid, which is native to parts of Central America, Africa, including Madagascar and French Polynesia. It has introduced to the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India, and has flourished in the tropical climate here. The stem of the plant entwines itself around a tree or support and climbs upwards. The unripe fruit or seedpod of the Vanilla plant is harvested when it turns golden green in color and is about 8 inches long. The fresh seedpod has no fragrance. The characteristic fragrance of Vanilla develops as a result of processing, which includes exposure to heat and cold. The seedpods turn chocolate brown in color, after which they are left to dry for several months. The seedpods become covered with small crystals of vanillin, which is secreted by the fine hair in the lining of the seedpods. This vanillin gives off the distinctive aroma of vanilla. The seedpods are then crushed and vanilla is extracted for use as a flavoring agent in cookery and confectionery. Breathe in the heavenly fragrance of Vanilla, on tours of the spice plantations of Kerala, with Kerala Backwater. |
