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The
Watkins Vanilla Story
The History of Watkins Vanilla
Vanilla comes from the seed pods of a tropical
orchid (vanilla planifolia) native to Mexico. The local Totonac Indians developed the
process of fermentation of the pods, in order to bring out the natural flavor components.
When the Aztecs conquered the Totonacs, they
were so enchanted by the flavor of vanilla that they forced their subjects to grow the
beans for them as tribute to the Emperor. Vanilla beans were used as an aphrodisiac, an
herbal remedy, & as a medium of exchange. Most importantly, the beans were used as a
flavoring for a blend of powdered cocoa beans, ground corn, & honey, which became the
legendary "nectar of the gods," xocoatl.
The Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes,
became the first European to taste this mixture when it was offered to him in the Aztec
capital of Tenochtitlan by the Emperor Moctezuma (or Montezuma) II in 1519. Cortes repaid
the favor by killing Moctezuma, conquering his people, & claiming the land, its gold
& its silver for Spain. The royal drink became known as "chocolate" from its
Aztec origin, and the secret flavoring, tlilxochitl, was renamed vainilla, which in
Spanish means "small pod" or "small scabbard," in reference to the
shape of the vanilla bean.
Vanilla became immensely popular in Spain, but only as it was used by the Aztecs -as a
flavoring for chocolate.
In 1602, Hugh Morgan, the apothecary to Queen
Elizabeth I, suggested that vanilla be used as a flavoring by itself. Elizabeth was so
enamored of the flavor that during the last year of her life, she would eat only foods
prepared with vanilla.
The popularity of vanilla soon spread throughout Europe, but nowhere so much as in France.
The French adored vanilla, & used more of it than any of their European neighbors. It
was there, in fact, that Thomas Jefferson was first introduced to the exotic flavoring,
& loved it so that upon returning to Philadelphia, he had some shipped to him from
Paris, because it was unavailable in the United States. How ironic that a flavoring native
to the New World would have to cross the Atlantic twice to get to Mr. Jefferson.
Unfortunately, only people with the means of a Queen Elizabeth or a Thomas Jefferson could
acquire the precious commodity, for vanilla was astronomically expensive. The Europeans
were desperate for a more accessible source of vanilla & smuggled plant cuttings out
of Mexico for transplanting to England, France & some of their tropical colonies. The
plants thrived, especially in the tropics, but would not bear fruit. It was rumored that
Moctezuma had placed a curse on the plants, & that they would never produce for the
marauding Europeans.
Actually, it was not a curse that thwarted
their efforts, but a very small bee. In 1836 a Belgian botanist named Charles Morren
observed the plants in their native habitat & discovered that the flowers were
pollinated by the melipona bee, indigenous only to Mexico. Without this insect
intervention, vanilla was impossible.
In 1841, Edmund Albius, came up with a process of hand pollination which became known as
the marriage de vanille. He pierced the membrane of the flower with a bamboo skewer,
collected the male pollen, then transferred it to the sticky female stigma. (It was later
discovered that the Totonacs had been aware of this all along, & had used the same
method hundreds of years before.) Albius' island of Reunion became the home of the first
vanilla-bearing plants outside of Mexico. Vanilla plantations were established there, as
well as on the neighboring islands of Madagascar, Mauritius, & the Comoros, & in
other tropical locations like Ceylon and the Seychelles; French Indonesia, & parts of
mainland Africa.
Harvesting And Curing
Vanilla is the most labor-intensive agricultural product in the world, with the possible
exception of saffron (which is the only flavoring more expensive than vanilla.)
The vines are grown from cuttings planted
alongside "tutor trees" on which to climb. The trees are pruned short in order
to keep the plants within reach of workers. The plants will not bear flowers for three or
four years. Once the plants flower, they are tended daily, using the hand-pollinating
method perfected by Albius 150 years ago.
Shortly after pollination, the beans appear,
and require eight to nine months to mature. Just as with the flowers, the beans don't
mature all at once, so the plants require daily attention. In some vanilla-producing
areas, the beans are harvested early to meet demand & because of theft. This results
in an inferior bean. If left on the vine too long, a pod will split & can no longer be
sold whole, but can be used for extracts. Remember Watkins only uses whole beans to make Watkins Vanilla.
In Madagascar and Tahiti, the beans are
plunged into hot water to "kill" them before the curing process, in Mexico, the
process is begun in an oven. The pods are then laid out in the sun to bake for hours, then
placed in air-tight containers to "sweat" overnight. This process is repeated
for a few weeks, until the beans turn dark brown.
In Java (Indonesia) & Uganda, the curing
process is done much more quickly, with the beans being cured over a smoky fire. This
results in an inferior bean that is used only in lower-grade extracts, as with split
beans.
After the curing process is complete, the beans are sorted & graded according to
quality, length, & moisture content. Moisture content is quite important, for if
vanilla beans are too dry, they lack flavor. On the other hand, the same is true if they
contain too much moisture. Good moisture levels are from 18-25%. The world's best vanilla
beans are called Bourbon, or Madagascar-Bourbon, named for the Ile de Bourbon, former name
of the island of Reunion. This designation applies to all vanilla beans from the island
group which includes Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, & the Comoros. Of this variety,
the very best come from Madagascar, have moisture levels between 20 & 25%, & are
the world's most expensive. Each bean is branded with the grower's mark.
Mexico & Tahiti also produce some
excellent vanilla beans, but they are not as consistent in quality as the Bourbon variety,
& the crops are too small to have a great impact on the world market.
Indonesian and Ugandan beans, due to their fire-curing process, have unacceptable moisture
levels of 15% or lower. The top quality beans will either be sold whole or made into the
finest-quality extracts.
Making Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract is made by chopping the beans, then immersing them in a mixture of alcohol
& water, which is continuously recirculated through the beans until the essential
flavor components are dissolved into the liquid. This takes about 48 hours. The resulting
"perk" is then filtered into a holding tank, where it's aged, like wine. Sugar
or corn syrup is added to mellow the alcohol & to assist in aging. Once bottled, the
aging process can continue for two to three years.
Pure vanilla extract, by law, must be made
with at least 13.35 ounces of vanilla bean per gallon of liquid, & must contain at
least 35% alcohol by volume. This is known as "one-fold" vanilla extract.
Stronger concentrations are used by professional bakers & industries; a
"two-fold," or double strength, extract contains 26.7 ounces of beans per
gallon. The United States Food and Drug Administration also allows vanilla extract to
contain one or more of the following ingredients: glycerin, propylene glycol, sugar,
dextrose, & corn syrup. A product containing less than 35% alcohol must be called a
flavor. Watkins
Original Double Strength Vanilla contains 8.25% alcohol.
Imitation vanilla extract is any vanilla that
contains other than natural vanilla flavors. In the best cases, it is a natural vanilla
extract that has been fortified with artificial vanillin (the chief flavor component in
vanilla) & other ingredients designed to imitate and/or strengthen the flavor.
However, most contain no real vanilla at all. Because it is called "imitation,"
it need not contain 35% alcohol.
Mexican Vanilla must be purchased with caution, if at all. Although Mexican vanilla beans
may be of very high quality, the vanilla extract produced there rarely is.
A recent study showed that as many as 42% of bottled vanilla samples from Mexico contained
a substance called coumarin. The substance, which comes from the tonka bean, smells much
like vanilla & can make even a cheap synthetic smell like the real thing.
Unfortunately, coumarin is highly toxic in large doses, it can cause liver & kidney
damage, & has been used in rat poisons, as it causes internal hemorrhaging. In fact,
the amount of coumarin present in a single two-ounce bottle of Mexican vanilla could kill
someone. Additionally, Mexican labeling laws do not require the declaration of ingredients
such as coumarin, so you don*t know what you*re getting. Consider that Mexico barely
produces enough vanilla for its own use, & that real vanilla, no matter its origin is
expensive. Accordingly, it is highly unlikely that the bargain-priced bottles of vanilla
found in Mexican souvenir shops are really a bargain. |
