Vanilla

Chemical structure of vanillin
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vanilla

NOUN:

1. Any of various tropical American vines of the genus Vanilla in the orchid family, especially V. planifolia, cultivated for its long narrow seedpods from which a flavoring agent is obtained. 2. The seedpod of this plant. Also called vanilla bean. 3. A flavoring extract prepared from the cured seedpods of this plant or produced synthetically.

ADJECTIVE:

1. Flavored with vanilla: vanilla pudding. 2. Lacking adornments or special features; basic or ordinary: “We went through a period of vanilla cars” (Charles Jordan).

ETYMOLOGY:

Obsolete Spanish vainilla, diminutive of vaina, sheath (from the shape of its seedpods), from Latin vgna.

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Vanilla

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A vanilla plantation in a wood on Réunion Island
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A vanilla plantation in a "shader" (ombrière) on Réunion Island
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Tahitian Vanilla Originated in Maya Forests, Says Univ of California Riverside Botanist EurekAlert (8/21/08)
- Tahitian Vanilla Originated In Maya Forests, Says Botanist Science Daily (8/25/08)
Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne. A History of Food. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons/Blackwell 2009.
Vanilla -- Wikibooks Cookbook

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Vanilla planifolia - flower
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Drawing of Vanilla from the Florentine Codex
(ca. 1580)
and description of its use and properties written in the Nahuatl language
Wikipedia

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Last Modified 10 July 2011
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