The History of Vanilla
Kevin Saller
Vanilla About 60% to 70% of people know that chocolate comes from the cocoa bean, which comes from the cocoa fruit, and was used by the Aztecs to make chocolatl. But, not many people know about where the flavor that has beat chocolate in national taste tests over and over again… vanilla. Vanilla has one of the worlds most interesting pasts, some of the world’s most interesting facts, and it is currently the most famous flavoring in the world. It was originally grown by the Totonac Indians, who used it for perfume and medicine, but never used it for flavoring! Eventually the Totonac Indians were defeated and conquered by the Aztecs, who used it for the thing that they are most famous for: Chocolatl. That’s right; the drink is actually as famous as it is because it used vanilla, even though chocolate got all of the credit. Originally only Mexico could grow vanilla because the only type of bees who could pollinate it could only be found in a specific part of Mexico. Later on though, French Entrepreneurs found a way of hand pollinating vanilla, and then vanilla farms popped up all over the tropics. The one who introduced vanilla to America was Thomas Jefferson. Vanilla can be used for all sorts of things, such as ice cream to candles to perfume and it is a staple for baking and puddings, it also has many other uses in the kitchen. Ice cream was becoming popular before the Revolutionary War; being served in New York City confectionery shops, George Washington liked ice cream and kept two pewter ice cream pots at Mount Vernon during his presidency from 1789-1797, and also the first ice cream cone was produced in New York City in 1896 by Italo Marchiony, who emigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, and was granted a patent for his special mould in December, 1903. In 1904, the ice cream cone was introduced at the St. Louis World's Fair when a Syrian waffle concessionaire named E.A. Hamwi started rolling waffles into the shape of a
Vanilla About 60% to 70% of people know that chocolate comes from the cocoa bean, which comes from the cocoa fruit, and was used by the Aztecs to make chocolatl. But, not many people know about where the flavor that has beat chocolate in national taste tests over and over again… vanilla. Vanilla has one of the worlds most interesting pasts, some of the world’s most interesting facts, and it is currently the most famous flavoring in the world. It was originally grown by the Totonac Indians, who used it for perfume and medicine, but never used it for flavoring! Eventually the Totonac Indians were defeated and conquered by the Aztecs, who used it for the thing that they are most famous for: Chocolatl. That’s right; the drink is actually as famous as it is because it used vanilla, even though chocolate got all of the credit. Originally only Mexico could grow vanilla because the only type of bees who could pollinate it could only be found in a specific part of Mexico. Later on though, French Entrepreneurs found a way of hand pollinating vanilla, and then vanilla farms popped up all over the tropics. The one who introduced vanilla to America was Thomas Jefferson. Vanilla can be used for all sorts of things, such as ice cream to candles to perfume and it is a staple for baking and puddings, it also has many other uses in the kitchen. Ice cream was becoming popular before the Revolutionary War; being served in New York City confectionery shops, George Washington liked ice cream and kept two pewter ice cream pots at Mount Vernon during his presidency from 1789-1797, and also the first ice cream cone was produced in New York City in 1896 by Italo Marchiony, who emigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, and was granted a patent for his special mould in December, 1903. In 1904, the ice cream cone was introduced at the St. Louis World's Fair when a Syrian waffle concessionaire named E.A. Hamwi started rolling waffles into the shape of a