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Thank Mexico for vanilla!

11th Feb 2008

Vanilla, Florentine Codex

For 300 years Mexico was the only producer of vanilla in the world... (Written/compiled by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore)

Our word ‘vanilla’ - similar in most European languages - comes from the Spanish vainilla, meaning little ‘vaina’ or sheath (close-fitting cover): if you look at Pic 1 you can see why. The Aztecs called it tlilxóchitl in Náhuatl, meaning ‘black flower’ (tlil or tlilli = black, xóchitl or sometimes súchil = flower).

The Aztecs flavoured their chocolate with it, giving Europeans the idea. Now, Madagascar produces 80% of the world supply of vanilla; in Mexico it’s still produced in the states of Veracruz and Hidalgo, where it’s used medicinally to cure fever and pains in the womb and stomach.

In The Codex Badianus or Badianus Manuscript (Pics 2 & 3) - the first medical text book in the Americas, written by an Aztec doctor in 1552 - vanilla is included in a recipe for a charm called ‘The Traveller’s Safeguard’ (‘Viatoris Praesidium’ - Aztec scribes were taught to write in Latin after the Conquest); mixed with other herbs to promote sleep; and in another lotion used ‘against fatigue of those holding public office’.

Tlilxóchitl (‘Vanilla fragrans’ to give it its offical western name) was one of the medicinal plants requested by Moctezuma to stock his famous tropical botanical garden at Huaxtepec.

Vanilla beans are the seed of the climbing tropical orchid, Vanilla planifolia, the only orchid of the 350 known varieties to produce an edible product. Growing today as a vine it needs the support of trees or poles - then it can reach a height of about 5 metres. The flowers have a narrow bell surrounded by thin petals which develop slowly over several months into long narrow pods about 12-15 cm long. Vanilla extract is made by cutting the beans into small pieces and soaking in successive quantities of hot 65-70% alcohol.

Certainly the Aztecs appreciated its fine aroma and medicinal qualities: in the Florentine Codex (main picture) the scribe has written (in Náhuatl) ‘It is cord-like... its bean is green, but it is black when dried; wherefore it is called tlilxochitl... It is of pleasing odour, fragrant - a precious thing, wonderful, marvellous. It is of pleasing odour, perfect, superb. It is potable in chocolate. It creeps, constantly creeps, travels, sends out a shoot, forms foliage, produces a bean, forms a bean.’

‘...Thus, from the blood of a princess, was born vanilla, which in Totonac is called “caxixanath”, the recondite flower, and in Aztec “tlilxochitl”, the black flower.’ Read the full, rather gruesome story of the Totonac legend of vanilla by following the link below (and the other to learn about Aztec chocolate...)

Picture sources:-
• Main picture: Image from the Florentine Codex (original in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence) scanned from our own copy of the Club Internacional del Libro 3-volume facsimile edition, Madrid, 1994 (someone uploaded our image to the vanilla entry on Wikipedia without acknowledging us as the source - naughty!)
• Pix 1 & 5: from internet sources (but can’t recall which!)
• Badianus Manuscript images scanned from our own copy of ‘The Badianus Manuscript (Codex Barberini, Latin 241), John Hopkins Press, Baltimore, 1940
• Pic 4: photo courtesy of Dra. Rebeca Menchaca, who works at the University of Veracruz, researching vanilla orchids

Now for chocolate...‘Aztec advances (16): vanilla’The legend of Vanilla

Comments (7)

Michelle

21st Apr 2017

I bought Mexican vanilla this last trip to Mexico and it has the legend on the side of the bottle and it is pure! My recipes come out incredible!

Michelle

21st Apr 2017

Usumacinta vanilla has possibly been the best vanilla that I have purchased in Mexico! It is pure vanilla nothing else!

The Vanilla Company

3rd Jun 2014

Thank you for linking to vanilla.com. We have moved to www.vanillaqueen.com and are still providing the same great content and vanilla. Thanks for spreading the word!

Mexicolore

We’ve changed the URL - thanks for letting us know and good wishes.

charlesse H

11th Mar 2014

this is really intresting i didnt know that before!

silvia Bernardini

19th Feb 2010

I live in Veracruz, Mexico and I work with small producers of the area: if you want to visit a vanilla plantation we can organize it anytime

Mexicolore

Many thanks for this kind invitation, Sylvia! It’s a tempting offer. (Senen, below, take note...)

Marta

28th Feb 2009