Tahitian vanilla

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Tahitian vanilla
Vanilla tahitensis.jpg

Tahitian vanilla ( Vanilla tahitensis )

Systematics
Order : Asparagales (Asparagales)
Family : Orchids (orchidaceae)
Subfamily : Vanilloideae
Tribe : Vanilleae
Genre : Vanilla ( vanilla )
Type : Tahitian vanilla
Scientific name
Vanilla tahitensis
JWMoore

The Tahitian vanilla ( Vanilla tahitensis ) is an evergreen species of the vanilla genus in the orchid family . In addition to the spice vanilla , the Tahitian vanilla is the second most important type that provides the raw material for the spice vanilla .

description

The Tahitian vanilla is a climbing plant that needs heat, shade and high humidity to thrive. The most important growing region is the South Pacific. In the past, Tahitian vanilla was seen as a synonym for spiced vanilla ( Vanilla planifolia ), but today it is considered an independent species. If you look at flowers and fruits, Tahitian vanilla is morphologically very similar to spiced vanilla ( Vanilla planifolia ), showing its aromatic properties Similarities to the Guadeloupe vanilla ( Vanilla pompona ). Therefore it was assumed that the Tahitian vanilla emerged from a hybridization of Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla pompona . However, more recent investigations of the genome indicate a close relationship to Vanilla planifolia .

Compared to the spiced vanilla, the Tahitian vanilla has narrower leaves and somewhat thicker seed pods ("vanilla pods") that are approx. 12-14 cm long and have a red-brown, leathery skin after fermentation. The pods of Tahitian vanilla have a flowery aroma that differs from that of spiced vanilla. The difference in taste is the reason that it has so far been classified as inferior in the global spice trade. Compared to spiced vanilla, the Tahitian vanilla pods have less vanillin, but relatively high levels of other aromatic substances ( p-hydroxybenzoic acid , anisalcohol , anisic acid and anisaldehyde ). In the literature the fragrance piperonal is often mentioned, but neither piperonal nor coumarin or ethyl vanillin could be detected in Tahitian vanilla pods.

Due to their aromatic properties, the pods of Tahitian vanilla are primarily used in perfume production , but also for special culinary creations.

Systematics and origin of the species

The species was first described in 1933 by the American botanist John William Moore .

According to the latest research, this type of vanilla is a cross between Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla odorata . Vanilla odorata is native to Guatemala . According to studies by Pesach Lubinsky and others, the following picture emerges: The plant probably came to Tahiti in 1848 by Ferdinand Alphonse Hamelin (commander of the French Pacific fleet). He brought cuttings from the Philippines for the governor of Tahiti. Already Francisco Manuel Blanco writes in his book on the plants of the Philippines, of vainilla de Guatemala . It is believed that these plants came with one of the galleons between Manila and Acapulco . In Manila, the plants probably thrived in gardens, as Blanco writes that he could not find any wild specimens.

Analysis of the ingredients

The reliable analysis of the numerous odor and taste active ingredients is achieved through chromatographic processes. The GC-MS or HPLC-MS coupling in particular enables reliable identification and quantification of the individual components. The use of solid phase extraction is also used to characterize olfactory relevant substances.

literature

  • Tim Ecott: Vanilla - Travels in Search of the Luscious Substance. Penguin Books, London 2004, ISBN 0-8021-1775-9 .
  • Stephanie Pain: In a chocolate garden. In: New Scientist. No. 2685, pp. 48-49.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b A. S. Ranadive: Vanilla Cultivation. In: Proc. of the 1st Int. Congress on Vanilla. 2003, pp. 25-32.
  2. ↑ a b Besse et al: RAPD genetic diversity in cultivated vanilla: Vanilla planifolia, and relationships with V. tahitensis and V. pompona. In: Plant Science. 167 (2004), pp. 379-385.
  3. ^ Website consumer information system of the Bavarian Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection about vanilla , accessed on July 17, 2013.
  4. ↑ Ehlers et al.: High pressure liquid chromatographic analysis of Tahitian vanilla. In: Journal of Food Inspection and Research. 199, pp. 38-42 (1994). doi: 10.1007 / BF01192950
  5. ↑ In: Bernice P. Bishop Mus. Bull. 102: 25. 1933.
  6. ↑ P. Lubinsky, KM Cameron, MC Molina, M. Wong, S. Lepers-Andrzejewski, A. Gomez-Pompa, S.-C. Kim: Neotropical roots of a Polynesian spice: the hybrid origin of Tahitian vanilla, Vanilla tahitensis (Orchidaceae). In: American Journal of Botany. 95, 2008, pp. 1040-1047, doi: 10.3732 / ajb.0800067 .
  7. ↑ scienceticker.info: Tahitian vanilla from Mayan forests
  8. ↑ Manuel Blanco: Flora de Filipinas: Segun el sistema sexual de Linneo . C. Lopez, 1837, p. 644 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  9. ↑ M. Takahashi, Y. Inai, N. Miyazawa, Y. Kurobayashi, A. Fujita: Identification of the key odorants in Tahitian cured vanilla beans (Vanilla tahitensis) by GC-MS and an aroma extract dilution analysis. In: Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry . 77 (3), 2013, pp. 601-605. PMID 23470766
  10. ↑ T. Sostaric, MC Boyce, EE Spickett: Analysis of the volatile components in vanilla extracts and flavorings by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography. In: J Agric Food Chem. 48 (12), Dec 2000, pp. 5802-5807. PMID 11141252