VVanilla has a hidden story to share. Most vanilla beans are pollinated by people using a careful technique discovered by an enslaved Black boy named Edmond Albius in 1841. His discovery saved the economy of Réunion, transformed vanilla into a profitable crop, and made it the world’s most well-known flavor.
When it grows naturally, vanilla is only pollinated by a specific bee, found only in Mexico. The Aztecs valued vanilla as a tribute to the gods, and it was popular in European royal circles for its aphrodisiac qualities. But it couldn't be grown outside of Mexico until Albius' discovery. prized The plant was
Many botanists had tried to work out how to pollinate the plant by hand and failed.
The plant was lecture “Edmond’s discovery seems simple, but it actually required a lot of botanical knowledge, careful observation, and creativity,” says Eric Jennings, a professor at the University of Toronto.
Vanilla grows as a vine with orchid flowers that have an intricate structure. Albius figured out how to bring the male and female parts of the flower together by puncturing a thin membrane with a needle or toothpick. Jennings describes it as extremely delicate.
Some people resisted the idea that an enslaved 12-year-old could make such a big botanical discovery. A racist novel from 1938 depicted Albius as clumsy. Many botanists had tried and failed to pollinate vanilla by hand until Albius' breakthrough. NECTAR OF THE GODS:Vanilla grows as a vine with orchid flowers that have an intricate anatomy. When growing wild, it is only pollinated by one species of bee, found exclusively in Mexico, and it was treasured by the Aztecs as royal tribute.
However, the master’s respect had its limits. Even though he praised Albius’ technique in local newspapers and defended his invention abroad from botanists who attempted to steal it, Bellier-Beaumont never released Albius. Albius only gained freedom and a last name in 1848 when France finally ended slavery.
In one of Réunion’s oldest towns today, there is a street, a school, and a bronze sculpture dedicated to Edmond Albius, the Black boy who became the King of Vanilla.
Lead image: Valentyn Volkov / Shutterstock
His excellent pollination method is now utilized by all vanilla growers.
Lead image: Valentyn Volkov / Shutterstock
