ORIGIN OF THE VANILLA
From the land of Totonacapan in Veracruz, vanilla has led its flavor and aroma to the world. Knowledge about the vanilla is a heritage bequeathed by the Totonacos.
The Aztecs used vanilla to flavor xocolatl prepared with vanilla and cacao. Hernán Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlan in 1519 and was received by the Emperor Moctezuma Xocoyotzin. At the first banquet served, Bernal Díaz, noticed that the Emperor enjoyed a drink that was only served to him and to great characters of the court. He asked a servant, who told him it was the drink of the gods prepared with Tlilxochitl (vanilla) and Cacaotl.
In 1520 news came to Spain about a new spice and in 1532, Fray Bernardino De Sahagún, discovered that vanilla was helpful for digestion.
In 1610, vanilla came to be known in England since the English pirate Drake, by capturing a Spanish galleon, discovered a package for the King of Spain containing a few fragrant wands, which were delivered to Queen Elizabeth.
PRODUCTION OF VANILLA
For almost three centuries, the sole producer of vanilla was Mexico.
In the XVIII century, vanilla was led to its production in greenhouses in Europe and to tropical European colonies. In 1730 there was success in its development and flowering but the plant did not bear fruit in those latitudes.
In 1836, botanist Charles Morren (Belgium), checks that the vanilla orchid is a flower hermaphrodite requiring manual pollination or aid through bees (meliponini), ants or other insects to bear fruit.
Five years later, the manual pollination method is perfected. From there all countries with possessions in tropical areas were planting vanilla; the Dutch in Java; the French in Madagascar, Tahiti, Islands Comoros; the English in Mauritius and the Seychelles Islands; and the Americans in Puerto Rico.
After losing the world monopoly on vanilla, Mexico began to decline their production. Today, “Tlilxochilt (black flower)” major productions are not located in any territory close to the site of origin. Mexico currently occupies the last place in world production of vanilla.
LEGEND OF VANILLA
When the Totonacas decided to settle on the shores of Veracruz, on the Gulf of Mexico, still not practiced human sacrifice but they worshipped the sun, wind, water and earth. Their offerings to the gods consisted in bouquets of flowers and in incineration of “Copal”.
In the sierras near Papantla, was the Tonacayohua Temple, whose rites were entrusted with twelve young girls who were dedicated to her and they did vow of lifetime chastity.
In the time of King Teniztli, one of his wives had a girl, who by her beauty, put the name of “Tzacoponziza” which means “Lucero del Alba” (morning star). Not wanting anyone to enjoy her beauty, she was consecrated to the worship of Tonacayohua.
But a young Prince called “Zkatan-Oxga” (the young deer), fell in love with her. While he knew such sacrilege was punished with the beheading, a day that “Lucero del Alba” left the temple to pick up some “tortolillas” to offer them to the goddess, her boyfriend kidnapped her fleeing with her to the mountain. But they had not walked far when a monster appeared and forced them to retreat.
Upon reaching the road, priests already were waiting for them. Before Zkatan could say a word, he was beheaded and the same happened to the Princess. Their hearts were extracted and placed in the stones of the goddess and their bodies were thrown into a ravine.
In the place where they sacrificed them, grass began to dry out as if the blood of the two victims had an evil influence. A few months later, it began to sprout a bush that, within a few days, towered several spans of the ground and was covered with thick foliage. When it reached its full growth, along with its stem began to be born a climbing orchid, that amazing quickly threw their guides on the trunk of the bush. The sun just went by the leaves of the shrub, while the orchid was growing. And one morning, it was covered with flowers and all over the place was flooded with unexplained aromas.
The priests and the people had not doubt that the blood of both Princess was transformed in shrub and orchid. And they were more shocked when the flowers were converted into long, thin pods that mature and soared a perfume still more penetrating, as if “Lucero de Alba´s” innocent soul filled the place with an exquisite fragrance.
The orchid was worshipped, was declared a sacred plant and offering as a divine gift to the Totonacos.
Cacao was already cultivated by the Mayas for more than 2500 years.
The cacao was called “cacahuat”; the aromatic beverage obtained from its fruits was called “xocolatl”.
The agave is created from the liquid sap that is obtained from the inside of the “penca”.
This first extraction is called mead and is consumed by the natives as a natural refreshing and fortifying drink
In any region of the world, salt has always been necessary for human survival.
The mexican Lords and their hegemonic cultures as the maya and the Aztec used the for their political intentions.