Natural Vanilla

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Vanilla planifolia or natural Vanilla is the only edible fruit of the orchid family that is commercially cultivated. Out of 150 species only two, Bourbon and Tahitian are grown. Natural Vanilla cultivation is quite labour intensive. It takes almost three years for the vines to bear flowers after being planted. The dark green pods are allowed to remain in the vine for nine months before they undergo the curing process to develop one of world's richest flavours. Due to high demand synthetic vanilla is often used instead of expensive natural vanilla. But the distinct sweet flavour can only be extracted from a natural vanilla pod. Vanilla is extensively used in beverages, desserts, dairy products, flavouring medicines, as a fragrance in perfumes and for other industrial applications. United States of America is the largest consumer of vanilla followed by the European countries like France. A native of Mexico, Vanilla is grown in tropical countries lying on either side of the equator. Madagascar and Indonesia are the major producers of the crop. In India, the crop is mainly grown in Kerala and the Nilgiri region of Tamilnadu and Karnataka.