Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world, after saffron. It's expensive because it's both labor-intensive and time consuming to grow. The plant that produces vanilla beans only blooms for a few hours each year. If pollination is successful, it will take another eight to nine months until the plant matures.
More facts about vanilla:
- Vanilla is native to Mexico and because a specific type of bee, also native to Mexico, pollinated it, Mexico was the only place vanilla could be produced for hundreds of years. Today, most vanilla comes from Madagascar, and nearby islands like Réunion.
- Most vanilla, even in Mexico, is pollinated by hand, contributing to the high cost of vanilla for consumers.
- There are four main types of vanilla, based on where the vanilla comes from: Bourbon vanilla (from Madagascar), Mexican vanilla, Tahitian vanilla and West Indian vanilla.