ENCHANTING WORLD OF SPICES

Vanilla is one of the most expensive spices in the world. It originally comes from Mexico. The small town of Papantla, near the Gulf Coast of Mexico, was once the center of the global vanilla trade. The indigenous peoples of the region had long known the secret of cultivating vanilla. In April, the delicate yellow orchid blossom opens for only a few hours. During this brief window, it must be pollinated by hand—a meticulous process that requires great skill. With the Spanish conquest of Mexico, vanilla became known in Europe and has remained the Queen of Spices to this day.