Mexican vanilla: what it is, how it's grown and its uses

What is it?

Vanilla is the dried and cured fruit of the orchid Vanilla planifolia, native to the humid forests of northern Veracruz, particularly Papantla and its Totonac surroundings. For three centuries Mexico was the world's only producer, until in 1841 Edmond Albius developed, on the island of Réunion, the manual pollination that made it possible to grow the plant outside the range of its natural pollinator. The pod holds the Vainilla de Papantla designation of origin, granted in 2009 by the IMPI and recognised in the Official Journal of the Federation. Its aroma comes mainly from vanillin and from more than 250 secondary aromatic compounds, giving it a complex, floral, balsamic and sweet profile far superior to that of synthetic vanillin. It is used in desserts, atoles, breads, chocolates and mole, and as an essential ingredient of European baking since its arrival in the Old World.

Origin and history

Vanilla was domesticated by the Totonacs of northern Veracruz at least 1,000 years before the Christian era, according to archaeological evidence from El Tajín and Quiahuiztlán. The Totonacs called it caxixanath, the hidden flower, and used it to perfume cacao. After the Mexica conquest of the 15th century, Moctezuma II added it to the ceremonial xocolatl. Hernán Cortés took it to Europe in 1520 along with cacao, and Bernal Díaz del Castillo, in the True History of the Conquest of New Spain, describes the extraordinary aroma of the drink. The manual pollination technique, developed in 1841 in Réunion, broke the Mexican monopoly. During the 20th century production fell because of epidemics, deforestation and international competition, but the cooperative Vainilleros Indígenas de la Sierra del Totonacapan has managed to revitalise the sector. CONABIO and SADER promote agroforestry crops with native tutor trees such as the cocuite, recovering traditional Totonacapan practices.

Characteristic ingredients

Vanilla planifolia is a climbing orchid up to 25 m long, with fleshy green stems and ephemeral flowers that stay open for barely six hours. In its native area it is pollinated by the Melipona bee and by hummingbirds; outside it, it requires manual pollination with a curved knife or bamboo stick. The fruit, a green pod of 15-25 cm, requires a curing process of six to nine months that includes scalding, sweating, sun-drying and conditioning. During this process the enzyme β-glucosidase releases the vanillin from the glucoside glucovanillin, generating the characteristic aroma. The Mexican vanilla of Papantla has a more floral, sweet profile with tobacco notes than that of Madagascar (Bourbon) or Tahiti. It is sold as whole pods, extract, powder or macerated. Products such as pure Mexican vanilla extract are premium ingredients in international baking, with prices reaching 60,000 pesos per kilo in cured form.

Cultural significance

Vanilla is one of the most symbolic products of Mexican cultural heritage: the ceremony of the Voladores de Papantla, linked to the cultivation and harvest of vanilla, was inscribed by UNESCO in 2009 as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Vainilla de Papantla designation of origin protects producers in 39 municipalities of Veracruz and Puebla. The Cumbre Tajín festival celebrates Totonac culture each spring, including vanilla competitions and tastings. Mexican cooking uses vanilla in atoles, mole poblano, hot chocolate, jericallas and regional breads such as vanilla roscas. Economically, the agroecological use under native trees prevents deforestation and generates rural employment in the Totonacapan. Chefs such as Carmen 'Titita' Ramírez and Margarita Carrillo, ambassadors of Mexican cuisine at UNESCO, have championed Mexican vanilla against industrial versions, positioning it as a product of national identity comparable to cacao or maize.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Mexican vanilla and Madagascar vanilla?

Mexican vanilla from Papantla is more floral, mild and with notes of tobacco and sweet spices; Madagascar Bourbon is creamier, more intense and with a chocolatey base owing to its higher vanillin content. Both come from Vanilla planifolia, but the terroir, microclimate and curing technique produce different aromatic profiles and characteristic notes.

Why is vanilla so expensive?

Vanilla is the second most expensive flavouring in the world after saffron. Its production requires manual pollination flower by flower, staggered harvests, artisanal curing of up to nine months and enormous losses: five kilos of green pod are needed to obtain one kilo of cured vanilla. The fungal epidemic in Madagascar and deforestation in Mexico drove prices up between 2015 and 2020.

How is vanilla used in cooking?

The pod is split lengthwise, the seeds are scraped out with a knife and both the seeds and the pod are infused in milk, cream or hot syrup. It is essential in atoles, jericallas, ice creams, flans, chocolate, mole poblano and breads. In Mexico it is also used to flavour coffees and rompope, as well as being a key ingredient of the Totonacapan heritage.

Where does vanilla come from?

It is native to the humid forests of northern Veracruz, Puebla, Oaxaca and parts of the Huasteca, where it was domesticated by the Totonacs more than 3,000 years ago. Mexico kept the world monopoly until 1841, when Edmond Albius's manual pollination technique made it possible to grow it in Réunion, Madagascar, the Comoros, Indonesia and Tahiti.