Located just east of the southern tip of Africa, the area known as the Bourbon Islands includes the islands of Réunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros and the Seychelles. Therefore, when we refer to Madagascar Bourbon, we are referring to the region, not the drink. Around 1793, a vanilla vine was smuggled from Mexico to Bourbon Island in Réunion. For nearly 50 years after its arrival in Reunion, the growth and production of vanilla was difficult. The vines grew successfully with beautiful flowers but rarely resulted in vanilla pods. Without the Melipona bee, the native pollinator of vanilla in Mexico, the flowers were only occasionally pollinated by local insects. It wasn't until 1836 that Charles Morren, a Belgian botanist, discovered the connection between the bee and pollination of the plant. In 1841, Edmond Albius of Réunion developed an efficient method for hand-fertilizing vanilla flowers. Eventually, hand pollination was perfected on a commercial scale. Growers could select the best flowers and place them correctly on the vine, resulting in a healthier and better quality vanilla pod. Combined with the warm, humid climate and rich soil, hand pollination by the country's skilled and patient farmers has allowed Madagascar to become the world's leading producer of vanilla in both quantity and quality. In Madagascar, the curing process is similar to that of Mexico with a slight difference. farmers begin the ripening process by soaking green vanilla beans in hot water for a short time. Farmers then store the beans in sweat boxes before beginning the routine of spreading the beans out in the sun and packing them at night. This unique curing process, along with the rich soil and growing conditions, helps create the unique, rich and highly complex flavor profile that Madagascar vanilla is known for.
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