Lecture 14 - Vanilla and other spices

Question 1

vanilla scientific name and family

Answer 1

Vanilla planifolia
family is orchidaceae

Question 2

vanilla is ___ most expensive spice

Answer 2

3rd

Question 3

how is vanilla extract made

Answer 3

by percolating alcohol and water through cropped cured beans

Question 4

where is vanilla native to

Answer 4

SE Mexico to Guatemala and Panama

Question 5

top vanilla producers

Answer 5

indonesia and madagascar

Question 6

vanilla ideal environment

Answer 6

21-32 C (cannot survive frost)
2000-3000mm than 2 month dry period

Question 7

physical description of vanilla plant

Answer 7

perennial vine with large succulent leaves and branched stems with aerial roots

Question 8

propagation of vanilla

Answer 8

seed or stem cuttings (stem cutting is best)

Question 9

vanilla plants need _____

Answer 9

shade

Question 10

how does modern vanilla production work

Answer 10

they use net/shade houses

Question 11

diseases of vanilla

Answer 11

stem rot (fusarium oxysporum)
athracnose (glomerella vanillae)

Question 12

stem rot of vanilla (fusarium oxysporum) symptoms

Answer 12

water soaked lesions on stem
leaves yellow and fall off
rotting of beans

Question 13

stem rot of vanilla (fusarium oxysporum) control

Answer 13

avoid plant stress, proper spacing, and shade regulation

Question 14

athracnose (glomerella vanillae) symptoms

Answer 14

lesions on stem and leaves, plant wilt, fruit, black at tips/midsection

Question 15

what structure of vanilla prevents self pollination

Answer 15

rostellum (flap-like structure that obstructs selfing

Question 16

Albius methods of artificial pollination in vanilla

Answer 16

use a rounded bamboo stick to draw back labellum, break anther cap, and press rostellum down to press anther and stigma together

Question 17

what makes up 40% of labor costs in vanilla

Answer 17

artificial pollination

Question 18

fruit of vanilla

Answer 18

fleshy elongated, straight capsules that greenish yellow at maturity

Question 19

vanilla harvest

Answer 19

harvest before completely mature. are harvested daily over 2-3 months

Question 20

4 step process of processing vanilla

Answer 20

1. killing or wilting
2. sweating
3. drying
4. conditioning

Question 21

wilting or killing of vanilla

Answer 21

stops bean growth/initiates enzymatic reactions
causes pod to turn brown
Methods are sun or oven wilting

Question 22

sweating of vanilla

Answer 22

promotes enzymatic activity and initial drying
Method - removed removed from oven and transferred into sweating boxes (kept in heat for 24 hours)

Question 23

drying of vanilla

Answer 23

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

Question 24

how many times is the drying cycle of vanilla processing repeated

Answer 24

11-25 times

Question 25

conditioning of vanilla

Answer 25

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)

Question 26

uses of vanilla

Answer 26

flavouring

Question 27

forms of processed vanilla

Answer 27

powder and extract

Question 28

cinnamon scientific name

Answer 28

cinnamomum zeylanicum

Question 29

use of cinnamon

Answer 29

used in both quill and powder form
essential oil, rich source or nutrients, medical

Question 30

production process of cinnamon

Answer 30

bark is stripped (2-3 times annually)
scrapped into thin layers and laid under the sun to dry. Then processed into quills

Question 31

quill

Answer 31

role or bark that was removed

Question 32

quilling

Answer 32

pieces of bark less than 106mm

Question 33

feathering

Answer 33

bark from twigs and twisted shoots

Question 34

chips

Answer 34

trimming of quills, inner bark that cant be separated from outer bark

Question 35

where is cinnamon produced

Answer 35

Sri Lanka is the largest exporter, Indonesia is largest producer

Question 36

what 2 spices does nutmeg fruit give

Answer 36

nutmeg (from seed) and mace (from fleshy covering on seed)

Question 37

where is nutmeg native too

Answer 37

Moluccas (Indonesia)

Question 38

saffron scientific name

Answer 38

Crocus sativus

Question 39

origin of saffron

Answer 39

from the Mediterranean

Question 40

what part of the flower is made into saffron

Answer 40

the stigma

Question 41

ginger scientific name

Answer 41

Zingiber officinale

Question 42

physical description of ginger

Answer 42

herbaceous perennial consisting of underground stem or rhizome and erect leafy shoot

Question 43

where is ginger native to

Answer 43

tropical asia