The pleasant and sweet smell of this classic flavor is imparted by the chemical compound "vanillin" found in the seed pods of vanilla plants belonging to the orchid family. In plants, vanillin is ...

Used as a spice in baking, cooking, and even perfumery, vanilla beans are long, thin pods that are the fruit of a flowering orchid plant. Here’s a closer look at the sweet and savory world of ...

Those who prefer vanilla, a climbing orchid that bears long podlike fruit ... The Aztecs, who subjugated the Totonacs in 1480, knew the plant as tlilxochitl, or “black pod” (a name which ...

Photo from Hernández Hernández, de Oliveira, Diaz-Guevara, Alarcón-Ortiz, Pazmiño-Palomino (2025) Males collect “perfumes” from various orchid plants and store them in cavities on their ...