The Vanilla plant is a tropical climbing orchid, with a long green fleshy stem that sprouts roots that cling to trees parasitically. It is a perennial herbaceous vine that grows to heights of 25 m. The quality of the Vanilla bean is not dependent on the Vanillin content even though Vanillin is associated with the characteristic fragrance of the plant. Numerous other constituents characterize the flavor and quality of Vanilla and its extracts. Vanilla Extracts are prepared by percolating ground Vanilla bean with an alcohol/water mixture. Vanilla has been reported to contain up to approximately 3% Vanillin, the major flavoring component. However, more than 150 other minor components contribute to the full-bodied fragrance of natural Vanilla.
Vanilla has a long history of use as a food flavoring and fragrance. From the ancient time, Vanilla was considered an aphrodisiac. It was also once believed that Vanilla was a febrifuge, used to reduce fevers, though it is rarely used for any medicinal purposes other than as a pharmaceutical flavouring. Vanilla is often used for its calming effect. However, Vanilla Extracts are commonly used as flavoring agent.
References:
Drugs.Com. http://www.drugs.com/npp/vanilla.html
Encyclopedia of Spices. http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/vanilla.html
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/index.php/v2/Spice_up_your_life
