Vanilla is native to Mexico, and it was first cultivated by the ancient Maya and Aztec civilizations. The Maya used vanilla to flavor a chocolate drink. When the Spanish conquered Mexico in the 16th century, they brought the drink back to Europe, where it quickly became a popular luxury item.

However, vanilla was difficult to grow outside of Mexico, as it requires a specific climate and environment. In the early 19th century, Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old enslaved person discovered how to pollinate vanilla flowers by hand, which made it possible to grow vanilla in other parts of the world. This led to a boom in vanilla production.

The rise of vanilla as a popular spice coincided with the rise of industrialization. As factories became more common, vanilla became more affordable and accessible to the general public. This led to a decline in the perceived value of vanilla. Vanilla was no longer seen as a rare and exotic spice, but rather as a common and ordinary one. If you try our Madagascar Vanilla ice cream, however, you’ll realize this view of vanilla is obviously wrong.