VANILLA

- Vanilla belongs to the orchids family.

- Fresh vanilla beans, sometimes known as "beans," have no scent.

- The distinctive scent is the product of enzyme activity during the curing process. -

- The traditional procedure begins with the harvested beans being sweated every night and exposed to the sun every day for about 10 days, until they turn a rich chocolate brown colour.

- The beans are then laid out on trays in an airy shelter until they are dry enough to grade and pack.