Vanilla, is any member of a group of tropical climbing orchids (family Orchidaceae) and the flavoring agent extracted from their pods.

Vanilla plants have a long, fleshy climbing stem that attaches to trees by aerial rootlets; roots also penetrate the soil. Numerous flowers open a few at a time and last a single day during the blooming season, which lasts about two months. Because of their dainty structure, the blossoms can be naturally pollinated only by certain small bees; in areas outside of the pollinators’ range, the flowers are pollinated artificially with a wooden needle as soon as they open. The flowers vary in color from pale green to yellow to creamy white. The fruit, a long capsule, reaches its full length of about 20 cm (8 inches) in four to six weeks but may take up to nine months to mature. As soon as they turn golden-green at the base, the unripe pods are harvested.

Fresh vanilla fruits, often called “beans,” have no aroma—the characteristic aroma results from enzymatic action during curing. The traditional method begins with subjecting the harvested beans to a process of nightly sweating and daily exposure to the sun for about 10 days until they become deep chocolate brown in color. Then the beans are spread on trays in an airy shelter until dry enough for grading and packing. Curing and drying require from four to five months. The best grade of cured seed pods is usually covered with tiny crystals of vanillin, which provide a characteristic-rich and sweet aroma.