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Vanilla, a common flavour in everything from ice cream to cakes and perfume is derived from an orchid pod which don’t seem very tasty while still on the plant? It has to be cured to divulge its famous aroma; a truth which might have remained undiscovered if it hadn’t been for the Totonacos.

The Totonaco people is a pre-columbian people that inhabited the vera cruz region of Mexico. According to Totonaco legend, the vanilla bean was a gift from the gods and its purpose in the world was the fill the forest with the scent of true love and beauty. The very first vanilla orchid flower was said to have appeared where the blood of two lovers had fallen onto the jungle floor. Today, historians assume that the Totonaco people discovered the secret of the vanilla bean by encountering beans that had been naturally cured by months of heat and humidity in the tropical forest. The distinct vanilla flavour is bound in the form of glycosides and enzymatic reaction is required to free it.

If you want to prepare your own vanilla, you can use the pod as well as the beans since both hold the special vanilla aroma. The pods are full of seeds and will mature slowly untill they turn dark brown when they are ripe. Orchid pods can take up to 9 months to mature and it is important that you do not pick them to early if you want good vanilla. The pods will start to open when they are ready to be made into vanilla. Keep an eye on your vanilla orchid because the best quality vanilla is produced from a pod that has just begun to split. It is important to remember that different vanilla pods mature at different rate and you will need to harvest each pod when it is ready.

The traditional way to cure vanilla is to leave pods and seeds in the sun. Place the pods and seed on a tray in the sun for 2-3 hours. Put the pods into bankets and leave them to sweet in the dark for 12 hours or more. The next day you should place it in the sun once again before leaving it to sweet one more time. Repeat the procedure for up to three weeks, the vanilla is done when the pods are deep brown and bendy. Once the vanilla is deep brown it should be left to dry in a well ventilated area for about 3 weeks.

You can speed up the curing by using the method below.

1.) Heat water to 89-120 degrees F / 57-88 degrees C.

2.) Place the pods and seed in water for three minutes.

3.) Place them in a blanket to sweat for 12 hours or more.

4.) Leave them to dry in a shaded, well ventilated spot.