Outside Mexico, all vanilla pods must be pollinated by hand, one by one.
Why it is true
The vanilla orchid is only naturally pollinated by a specific bee that lives in Mexico. In other producing countries, such as Madagascar, farmers pollinate each flower manually with a small bamboo stick, which explains the high price of the spice.
Source: Smithsonian
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Related facts
Vanilla is the 2nd most expensive spice in the world.
Vanilla is the only widely used spice that comes from an orchid.
Figs contain digested dead wasps as part of their natural pollination process.
Vanilla flavoring was historically derived from castoreum, a secretion from beaver glands.
