Vanilla

[aprilatvalhalla@start.ca]

Can someone please tell me if vanilla grows in the Dominican Republic. Information on line says no, that there is a pilot project in the Constanza region. So the vanilla i buy in volumes each year is synthetic? Please clarify. Thanks in advance.

[reese_in_va]

Vanilla orchids do grow in the DR.
Most "vanilla" one finds here has been imported.
To grow sucessfully takes a lot of patience and caretaking. They must be pollinated by hand.
Don't be fooled by imatation. Most extracts are imported/ synthetic.

[aprilatvalhalla@start.ca]

Thankyou very much

[reese_in_va]

I must make a change in my previous post.......
Yes, vanilla does grow here in the DR....
BUT, the vanilla bean and extracts you can buy here at the stores are almost entirely imported. Thus, don't be fooled at the stores with "vanilla".
The plants (orchids) are not imported, they grow sporadically around the country.
I apologize for my confusing statement.

[mike l]

Originally Posted by reese_in_va

I must make a change in my previous post.......
Yes, vanilla does grow here in the DR....
BUT, the vanilla bean and extracts you can buy here at the stores are almost entirely imported. Thus, don't be fooled at the stores with "vanilla".
The plants (orchids) are not imported, they grow sporadically around the country.
I apologize for my confusing statement.

Thanks for the update as it was my impression that the vanilla being sold here was from the DR or it looks like it's bottled here.

Where is this being imported from?