Purchasing Vanilla in Puerto Vallarta
Introduction
Vanilla is an extract obtained from the seed pods of a plant from the orchid family (Vanilla planifolia), a Mexican species. It is actually the only edible fruit from an orchid. The name comes from “vainilla” which in Spanish means small pod.
Vanilla History
In Pre-Columbian times the plant was cultivated and enjoyed too by the Totonacs from Veracruz on the Caribbean side of Mexico. It was considered sacred and was used in ritual offerings, as medicine and as a perfume, not so much for food.
In the early XV, Century Aztecs started to combine vanilla (called Tlilxochitl) with chocolate which was what Hernán Cortés got offered by Emperor Moctezuma during a religious ceremony. Cortés was so impressed that he took a supply of the pods to Spain and offered it to his king too, where it, later on, became an exclusive beverage of aristocrats and royalty.
Vanilla Prehispanic Legend
Vanilla Legend
In the time of King Teniztle the Third of the Totonac dynasty, one of his six wives gave birth to a girl named Tzacopontziza (Morning Star) who, due to her singular beauty, was consecrated to the cult of the goddess Tonacayohua, caretaker of the sowing of bread and food.
But a prince named Zkatan-oxga (Young Deer) fell in love with her, even though he knew that such sacrilege was punishable by death. One day when Morning Star left the temple, he kidnapped her, fleeing with her to the mountain. On their way, a monster engulfed them in waves of fire, forcing them to retreat where the priests waited angrily for them and, before Zkatan-oxga could speak, he was slaughtered as was the princess too. Their hearts were later thrown at the altar of the Goddess.
There in the grasswhen the blood dried, a bush appeared, covered with thick foliage, giving birth to an orchid, which climbed with astonishing speed and exuberance, perfuming the environment with its aroma.
Author: José de Jesús Núñez y Domínguez
Vanilla flower (Orchid)
For more than 300 years, Mexican Vanilla was transplanted to various locations around the world but failed because the pollinating bee was not taken into consideration, in 1841 a manual method was invented and other countries started producing it too.
Vanilla is the second most expensive spice after saffron due to its labour-intensive cultivation process.
About Vanilla & its production
Even though vanilla originated in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean and for at some point in time Mexico held the monopoly and produced the finest extract in the world, this no longer is a guarantee that what you buy now will immediately be the best or even natural, as most of the cheap vanilla in these countries are now synthetic.
Vanilla Pods
You need to be careful when buying vanilla, that you are purchasing the real thing, an extract from the vanilla pods and not “vanilla” flavoring with an extract from tonka beans. These extracts contain coumarin that can have potential adverse side effects.
You must review the ingredient list, if it includes “tonka bean” or the ingredient list is vague or doesn’t exist, the FDA recommends that you don’t purchase it.
Vanilla information and how the flower is pollinated
FDA’s established standard for pure vanilla extract is 65% water, 35% alcohol and 13.35 ounces of vanilla pods in one gallon, glycerin can also be added as well as sugar. What makes the difference between different products is the quality of the vanilla pods, where they are from, how they were grown and the ageing process they go through before the extracting process.
The top 10 vanilla producers
- Indonesia
- Madagascar
- China
- Mexico
- Turkey
- Tonga
- French Polynesia
- Comoros
- Uganda
- Malawi
Purchase Tips
Some tips so you can figure out if you are buying pure vanilla.
- It should be amber-coloured, dark and murky is synthetic, so if it’s amber-coloured and clear it’s a good sign that it can be pure.
- If the price is low, that’s a telltale sign that it’s not pure. If it’s a big bottle and priced at less than 20 dollars there is no way it is vanilla extract.
- Clear coloured products are pure synthetic vanillin.
Recommended Brands
Mexican Vanilla Brands
- Blue Cattle Truck Trading Co. Pure Mexican Vanilla
- Gaya Vai-Mex
- La Vencedora
- Los Cinco Soles
- Molino Real
- Orlando (they do not use coumarin as stated some places online)
Where to buy in Puerto Vallarta
If you are considering buying a real Vanilla plant or maybe want to see one face to face, then you should visit the Vallarta Botanical Gardens, a great day trip too.
La Casa de la Vainilla
Calle Morelos 128, Centro, Plaza Juarez Local 15
Tel: (322) 222-9758
Dulcería Leal
Av. Juárez #262, Downtown, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
(322) 222-8042
Last Updated on 26/10/2021 by Puerto Vallarta Net
Hi!!!
We bought a large bottle. It is THE BEST!!
It is almost finished. We want to buy 10 to give as gifts, and keep for ourselves. Please let me know how I can purchase. Thank you.