Climbing up our tamarind tree is the vanilla plant; try to follow it and see how high it grows! Vanilla is an orchid native to Mexico, where its flowers are pollinated by Melipona bees and produce pods highly valued for their aroma.

Unfortunately, Melipona bees are not found outside Mexico. Humans must therefore carry out the contact between the male and female organs of the plant themselves. In 1841, a young Creole slave named Albius discovered the technique of hand-pollination, launching the development of vanilla production on the island. And fortunately so, as Bourbon vanilla is renowned worldwide for its exceptional quality.

In Reunion, vanilla thrives mainly along the island’s east coast. Indeed, the plant requires an average of 2 metres of water per year to grow naturally without irrigation. Each vanilla plant can produce 2 to 10 flower clusters, each carrying around ten green pods that mature in 7 to 8 months if pollination is successful. These pods release their full aroma after being scalded and then dried according to an extremely specific technique, which will be explained to you if you have the opportunity to visit one of the island’s vanilla plantations.