There’s Nothing ‘Vanilla’ About Vanilla
It may seem a bland, standard flavor, but its history is deliciously rich
According to legends of the indigenous Totonac people of Mexico, in a time before vanilla was cultivated, there once lived the beautiful princess Tzacopontziza of the Totonocopan kingdom. A young prince named Zkatan-Oxga saw her picking flowers for a temple offering one day. Overcome with passion, he whisked her away into the lush forest. But they were stopped by the temple priests and executed on the spot for their transgressions.
After several months, at the place where the two had been killed, the tendrils of a young, fragile green vine grew, reaching many feet tall in a few days. The vine bore green pods that released a fragrant scent when opened that perfumed the entire rainforest. And so, it was the death of the beautiful princess that brought us vanilla.
This myth of Tzacopontziza is one of many stories that riddle the oral histories about the origin of vanilla, but the Totonacas all agree that the vanilla pod fruit of the tlilxochitl vine was an incredible gift bestowed upon them. Tantalizing yet delicate, the flavor and aromas of vanilla were prized by the Totonac, who cultivated it for centuries. During the 15th century, though, the Aztecs conquered the region and forced the Totonacas to pay…
