Lecture 14 - Vanilla and other spices Flashcards
vanilla scientific name and family
Vanilla planifolia
family is orchidaceae
vanilla is ___ most expensive spice
3rd
how is vanilla extract made
by percolating alcohol and water through cropped cured beans
where is vanilla native to
SE Mexico to Guatemala and Panama
top vanilla producers
indonesia and madagascar
vanilla ideal environment
21-32 C (cannot survive frost)
2000-3000mm than 2 month dry period
physical description of vanilla plant
perennial vine with large succulent leaves and branched stems with aerial roots
propagation of vanilla
seed or stem cuttings (stem cutting is best)
vanilla plants need _____
shade
how does modern vanilla production work
they use net/shade houses
diseases of vanilla
stem rot (fusarium oxysporum)
athracnose (glomerella vanillae)
stem rot of vanilla (fusarium oxysporum) symptoms
water soaked lesions on stem
leaves yellow and fall off
rotting of beans
stem rot of vanilla (fusarium oxysporum) control
avoid plant stress, proper spacing, and shade regulation
athracnose (glomerella vanillae) symptoms
lesions on stem and leaves, plant wilt, fruit, black at tips/midsection
what structure of vanilla prevents self pollination
rostellum (flap-like structure that obstructs selfing
Albius methods of artificial pollination in vanilla
use a rounded bamboo stick to draw back labellum, break anther cap, and press rostellum down to press anther and stigma together
what makes up 40% of labor costs in vanilla
artificial pollination
fruit of vanilla
fleshy elongated, straight capsules that greenish yellow at maturity
vanilla harvest
harvest before completely mature. are harvested daily over 2-3 months
4 step process of processing vanilla
- killing or wilting
- sweating
- drying
- conditioning
wilting or killing of vanilla
stops bean growth/initiates enzymatic reactions
causes pod to turn brown
Methods are sun or oven wilting
sweating of vanilla
promotes enzymatic activity and initial drying
Method - removed removed from oven and transferred into sweating boxes (kept in heat for 24 hours)
drying of vanilla
slow drying and reduces to 30% of original weight
method is sun drying by laying out to dry for 4-6 hours and then returned to sweating boxes
how many times is the drying cycle of vanilla processing repeated
11-25 times
conditioning of vanilla
allow full development of aroma and flavor
method - packed into bundles of 50 beans, wrapped in wax paper, and stored in closed boxes for at least 3 months)
uses of vanilla
flavouring
forms of processed vanilla
powder and extract
cinnamon scientific name
cinnamomum zeylanicum
use of cinnamon
used in both quill and powder form
essential oil, rich source or nutrients, medical
production process of cinnamon
bark is stripped (2-3 times annually)
scrapped into thin layers and laid under the sun to dry. Then processed into quills
quill
role or bark that was removed
quilling
pieces of bark less than 106mm
feathering
bark from twigs and twisted shoots
chips
trimming of quills, inner bark that cant be separated from outer bark
where is cinnamon produced
Sri Lanka is the largest exporter, Indonesia is largest producer
what 2 spices does nutmeg fruit give
nutmeg (from seed) and mace (from fleshy covering on seed)
where is nutmeg native too
Moluccas (Indonesia)
saffron scientific name
Crocus sativus
origin of saffron
from the Mediterranean
what part of the flower is made into saffron
the stigma
ginger scientific name
Zingiber officinale
physical description of ginger
herbaceous perennial consisting of underground stem or rhizome and erect leafy shoot
where is ginger native to
tropical asia
