Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream OrchidFrom Papantla in Mexico-the city that perfumed the world-to the Indian Ocean islands, Vanilla traces the story of the vanilla plant and its secretive trade. From the golden cups of Aztec emperors to the ice-cream dishes of U.S. presidents, Vanilla has mystified and tantalized man for centuries. The only orchid that produces an agriculturally valuable crop, vanilla can mask unpleasant tastes and smells, but also makes pleasant tastes stronger, smoother, and longer lasting. Because it has over four hundred separate flavor components, choosing premium vanilla beans is as complex as judging the aroma and taste of fine wine. Vanilla finds its way into over half of all dessert products sold worldwide, as well as the finest perfumes, well-known brands of rum and vodka, and even Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Americans consume more vanilla than anyone else on Earth-a fact that has forced growers and traders to mount armed guard over their plants in the tropical jungle. The traders who travel the world in search of America's favorite flavor are a small and secretive elite. Vanilla is a globetrotting adventure that follows buccaneers, aristocrats, and gourmets, all in search of the ice cream orchid. |
Contents
Black Flower | 1 |
An Indian Secret | 20 |
The City that Perfumed the World | 33 |
Mexican Money | 54 |
From an English Garden | 80 |
Ile Bourbon | 94 |
Creole Hearts | 108 |
The Slaves Crime | 126 |
Empress of Tahiti | 147 |
Murder in Madagascar | 171 |
Ice Cream and Perfume | 187 |
The Admirals Legacy | 202 |
Vanilla Prince | 220 |
Epilogue | 250 |
Acknowledgements | 253 |
Select Bibliography | 257 |
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Common terms and phrases
American Antalaha Antananarivo asked Aztec Belle-vue Bellier Bellier-Beaumont botanists Bourbon called cash century chocolate colony crop cultivation cured vanilla curers Dario dark Edmond Albius Edmond's discovery Europe eventually export farmers fertilization flavour flower forest France French fruit Georges grand blanc green beans Greville Greville's growing Henry hundred ice cream Indian Ocean ingredients island kilogram land Larios London Madagascar Madame Chane Malagasy Mexican Mexico natural vanilla Papantla Papeete Paris perfume plantation planters pollinate produced Ramanandraibe Ratsiraka Réunion road Sainte-Suzanne SAVA region scent seemed Seychelles slaves Spanish species St-Denis Taha'a Tahiti Tahitian taste Tenochtitlan third volume Todd told tonnes Totonac town trees tropical vanilla beans vanilla dealers vanilla extract vanilla growers vanilla orchid Vanilla planifolia vanilla plants vanilla pods vanilla vines Vanille vanillin vazaha Veracruz Victor Vohémar Volsy-Focard volume of Roussin's wanted wooden Zink & Triest