The Secrets of the World’s Favorite Smell

December 26, 202400:09:08

The scent of vanilla is instantly recognizable — it’s also in danger of disappearing. In this ode to the vanilla bean, writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil explains why climate change might lead to the destruction of the beloved plant.

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[00:00]
GiveWell Sponsor
This podcast is supported by GiveWell. You're a details person, you read the nutrition facts and you check the footnotes. So when giving to charity, check out GiveWell, a nonprofit that researches and recommends great giving opportunities. Over 125,000 donors have already used GiveWell's research, collectively saving over 200,000 lives. Make a tax deductible donation@givewell.org first time donors can have their donation matched up to $100 as long as matching funds last. Select podcast and New York Times at checkout.
[00:32]
Podcast Host
This is the Opinions, a show that brings you a mix of voices from New York Times opinion. You've heard the news. Here's what to make of it.
[00:46]
Amy Nezuka Matato
I'm Amy Nezuka Matato. I'm a parent of two teen boys, I'm a professor of English and creative writing at the University of Mississippi, and I'm the author of two essay collections and four books of poetry. I don't think you can be a parent at this point or just even someone who looks at the news and not be worried about all these kinds of scary things that are going on in our environment. But I find that when I am overwhelmed with the news, I find that I do the most action when I hear about something that I love or when I get inspired by hearing about what somebody else loves. I find also that sharing what you love is contagious. You realize, oh, without them, that would be a sad world. And so I just thought, what would happen if we lost the world's favorite smell? I just worry for the future of vanilla. As a girl who moved around a lot when I was younger, my parents are immigrants and my mother, we had to move several times because of her job. So I don't really have a sense of home the way my husband has a sense of home. He lived in one state all his life. Vanilla for me is a grounding. It's a way to tether myself to a moment, a kitchen, to loved ones without ever leaving my house. Like to me, home is not a place, but it's a feeling. And vanilla is one of those that I could be tethered to the people I love and to the feeling that I wanna share with everybody as well. So I'm not at all saying we're gonna cure the world by focusing on vanilla, but I'm just saying we could start small by noticing what we love. And so here's my essay on the importance of the vanilla bean. From Custard to candles, we live in a world suffused with vanilla and the plant that produces it is in danger. Extracted from the bean pod of a delicate orchid, vanilla must be grown under exceptionally precise conditions along a very narrow band of the earth between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This supreme finickiness makes it unusually vulnerable to the growing shocks of climate change and deforestation. Most commercial production of vanilla is in Madagascar, Mexico and Tahiti. As the world warms, cyclones and storms in these regions are growing stronger, toppling the orchid blossoms and vanilla beans before they get a chance to fully mature. In 2017, a category 4 equivalent cyclone decimated an estimated 30% of the vanilla vines in Madagascar. Those vines produced 80% of the vanilla used around the globe. Afterward, the price of vanilla bean pods surged to nearly $300 a pound. Most people I know who brood in despair over climate change know that extreme weather could threaten crops like corn and coffee. But you probably haven't fathomed what it would be like to lose the scent and the taste of real vanilla. To understand how much we could lose if real vanilla disappears, you have to understand the history, some of it dark, of how it became a global commodity. We wouldn't have vanilla ice cream, perfumes, or desserts without a 12 year old named Edmond Albius. His mother died in the early 19th century on the island of Reunion, then called Bourbon, off the coast of Madagascar. The man who enslaved him was a botanist who fussed and fumed over his vanilla orchids, which simply would not bloom. Now, historians don't know if the young Mr. Albias was ordered to find a solution or if he came up with it on his own. But in 1841, he developed the technique, flattening the anther sac and the stigma of the orchid blossom with his finger and thumb. And that is still used today all over the world to pollinate vanilla orchids manually and produce large quantities of the extract. The orchid's bloom is brief. Morning sees them unfurl in wide display. But by noon, the flower closes, making the window for hand pollination very narrow. Then, for each pollinated blossom, it takes nearly a year to fully grow and dry the beans. When the pods shrivel and become supple, they turn a dark brown color and then give off the rich aroma. Farmers today grow about four and a half million pounds of dried vanilla beans annually. But it takes about 300 hand pollinated orchid blossoms to produce just one pound. So if wind and unusually heavy rains knock these blooms off early, farmers must start the whole lengthy years long process from scratch. They don't cultivate them indoors because of the extremely high costs of providing enough space, heat, indirect sunlight and humidity for the vines, which grow draped on trees and shrubs and extend to upward of 100ft, flourishing under the soft, dappled light that pokes through a tree canopy. Because the production of real vanilla is so labor intensive, scientists have experimented with creating substitutes. But many of these substitutes are terrible for the environment, creating large amounts of wastewater. When I cook or make gifts for friends using vanilla beans, my fingertips stay oiled with the scent of vanilla beans and the tiniest whiff of orchids for days. The scent creates a kind of nostalgia of having sweets cooked up for me at various family gatherings that my grandparents in India and the Philippines have passed on to my parents here in the States, and that I hope get carried on to my sons living in north Mississippi. It would be a pity to lose these soothing, warm sensations to something chemically made and one dimensional while the real deal gets relegated to the memory bins of an older generation. Mostly, I hope that we'll learn to recognize the value and the time it takes to grow a single vanilla pod, especially in the tropical belt full of birdsong and bright colored insects. Under that colorful canopy of wild and audacious feather and carapace, the pale vanilla orchid glows as if it were a sentinel, a lighthouse offering us a gentle warning before it's too late.
[08:36]
Podcast Host
If you like this show, follow it on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts. This show is produced by Derek Arthur, Sofia Alvarez, Boyd, Vishaka Durba, Phoebe Lett, Christina Samulewski and Gillian Weinberger. It's edited by Kari Pitkin, Alison Bruzek and Annie Rose Strasser. Engineering, mixing and original music by Isaac Jones, sonia Herrero, Pat McCusker, Carol Saburo and Afim Shapiro. Additional music by Amin Sahota. The Fact Check team is Kate Sinclair, Mary Marge Lacquer and Michelle Harris. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta, Christina Samulewski and Adrian Rivera. The executive producer of Times Opinion Audio is Annie Rose.

The Secrets of the World’s Favorite Smell

December 26, 202400:09:08

Summary4 min read

Summary of "The Secrets of the World’s Favorite Smell" The Opinions | The New York Times Opinion | Released: December 26, 2024

Introduction

In the episode titled "The Secrets of the World’s Favorite Smell," Amy Nezuka Matato, a professor of English and creative writing, delves into the intricate world of vanilla—the beloved scent and flavor that permeates everyday life. Matato intertwines personal anecdotes with environmental concerns, emphasizing the precarious future of vanilla amidst climate change and deforestation.

The Significance of Vanilla

Matato begins by expressing her deep personal connection to vanilla. As she states at [01:15]:

"Vanilla for me is a grounding. It's a way to tether myself to a moment, a kitchen, to loved ones without ever leaving my house."

She portrays vanilla not just as a flavor or scent, but as an emotional anchor that evokes memories and feelings of home. This sentiment underscores vanilla's pervasive presence in various aspects of life, from culinary delights to fragrances.

Vulnerability of Vanilla Production

The discussion shifts to the environmental challenges threatening vanilla cultivation. Matato highlights that vanilla orchids require "exceptionally precise conditions" and are confined to a narrow geographical band between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This fragility makes them highly susceptible to:

Climate Change: Increasingly severe cyclones and storms disrupt the delicate blooming process of vanilla orchids. For instance, she notes at [03:40]:

"In 2017, a category 4 equivalent cyclone decimated an estimated 30% of the vanilla vines in Madagascar."
Deforestation: Loss of habitat further compromises vanilla production, leading to reduced yields and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases.

Historical Context and Global Impact

Matato provides a historical perspective on how vanilla became a global commodity. She recounts the story of Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old enslaved boy who, in [05:10], innovated a manual pollination technique essential for vanilla cultivation:

"He developed the technique, flattening the anther sac and the stigma of the orchid blossom with his finger and thumb."

This method remains the cornerstone of vanilla production today, emphasizing the labor-intensive nature of cultivating this spice. She further illustrates the economic implications:

"After [the 2017 cyclone], the price of vanilla bean pods surged to nearly $300 a pound."

Environmental and Economic Consequences of Vanilla Loss

The potential loss of real vanilla has multifaceted repercussions:

Economic Impact: Increased prices due to scarcity affect industries reliant on vanilla, from ice cream manufacturers to perfumers.
Environmental Concerns: The pursuit of synthetic substitutes has led to environmental degradation, as many alternatives generate substantial wastewater, unlike natural vanilla extraction.

Matato emphasizes the irreplaceable quality of natural vanilla:

"It would be a pity to lose these soothing, warm sensations to something chemically made and one-dimensional."

Personal Reflections and Call to Action

Drawing from her personal experiences, Matato reflects on the nostalgic and emotional value of vanilla. At [07:20], she shares:

"The scent creates a kind of nostalgia of having sweets cooked up for me at various family gatherings..."

She advocates for a greater appreciation and awareness of the effort behind each vanilla pod. Matato urges listeners to recognize the value and time invested in cultivating vanilla, fostering a sense of responsibility towards preserving this precious resource.

Conclusion

Matato concludes by portraying the vanilla orchid as a "sentinel" or "lighthouse," serving as a gentle warning of environmental decline [08:00]:

"Under that colorful canopy... the pale vanilla orchid glows as if it were a sentinel, a lighthouse offering us a gentle warning before it's too late."

Her message is clear: preserving vanilla is not just about maintaining a beloved scent or flavor, but also about safeguarding cultural heritage, supporting sustainable agricultural practices, and addressing broader environmental challenges.

Notable Quotes:

Amy Nezuka Matato [01:15]: "Vanilla for me is a grounding. It's a way to tether myself to a moment, a kitchen, to loved ones without ever leaving my house."
Amy Nezuka Matato [03:40]: "In 2017, a category 4 equivalent cyclone decimated an estimated 30% of the vanilla vines in Madagascar."
Amy Nezuka Matato [05:10]: "He developed the technique, flattening the anther sac and the stigma of the orchid blossom with his finger and thumb."
Amy Nezuka Matato [07:20]: "The scent creates a kind of nostalgia of having sweets cooked up for me at various family gatherings..."
Amy Nezuka Matato [08:00]: "Under that colorful canopy... the pale vanilla orchid glows as if it were a sentinel, a lighthouse offering us a gentle warning before it's too late."

This episode masterfully blends personal narrative with environmental advocacy, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of vanilla's significance and the urgent need to protect it from the threats of climate change and unsustainable practices.

Loading summary

Transcript4 lines

[00:00]
GiveWell Sponsor
This podcast is supported by GiveWell. You're a details person, you read the nutrition facts and you check the footnotes. So when giving to charity, check out GiveWell, a nonprofit that researches and recommends great giving opportunities. Over 125,000 donors have already used GiveWell's research, collectively saving over 200,000 lives. Make a tax deductible donation@givewell.org first time donors can have their donation matched up to $100 as long as matching funds last. Select podcast and New York Times at checkout.
[00:32]
Podcast Host
This is the Opinions, a show that brings you a mix of voices from New York Times opinion. You've heard the news. Here's what to make of it.
[00:46]
Amy Nezuka Matato
I'm Amy Nezuka Matato. I'm a parent of two teen boys, I'm a professor of English and creative writing at the University of Mississippi, and I'm the author of two essay collections and four books of poetry. I don't think you can be a parent at this point or just even someone who looks at the news and not be worried about all these kinds of scary things that are going on in our environment. But I find that when I am overwhelmed with the news, I find that I do the most action when I hear about something that I love or when I get inspired by hearing about what somebody else loves. I find also that sharing what you love is contagious. You realize, oh, without them, that would be a sad world. And so I just thought, what would happen if we lost the world's favorite smell? I just worry for the future of vanilla. As a girl who moved around a lot when I was younger, my parents are immigrants and my mother, we had to move several times because of her job. So I don't really have a sense of home the way my husband has a sense of home. He lived in one state all his life. Vanilla for me is a grounding. It's a way to tether myself to a moment, a kitchen, to loved ones without ever leaving my house. Like to me, home is not a place, but it's a feeling. And vanilla is one of those that I could be tethered to the people I love and to the feeling that I wanna share with everybody as well. So I'm not at all saying we're gonna cure the world by focusing on vanilla, but I'm just saying we could start small by noticing what we love. And so here's my essay on the importance of the vanilla bean. From Custard to candles, we live in a world suffused with vanilla and the plant that produces it is in danger. Extracted from the bean pod of a delicate orchid, vanilla must be grown under exceptionally precise conditions along a very narrow band of the earth between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This supreme finickiness makes it unusually vulnerable to the growing shocks of climate change and deforestation. Most commercial production of vanilla is in Madagascar, Mexico and Tahiti. As the world warms, cyclones and storms in these regions are growing stronger, toppling the orchid blossoms and vanilla beans before they get a chance to fully mature. In 2017, a category 4 equivalent cyclone decimated an estimated 30% of the vanilla vines in Madagascar. Those vines produced 80% of the vanilla used around the globe. Afterward, the price of vanilla bean pods surged to nearly $300 a pound. Most people I know who brood in despair over climate change know that extreme weather could threaten crops like corn and coffee. But you probably haven't fathomed what it would be like to lose the scent and the taste of real vanilla. To understand how much we could lose if real vanilla disappears, you have to understand the history, some of it dark, of how it became a global commodity. We wouldn't have vanilla ice cream, perfumes, or desserts without a 12 year old named Edmond Albius. His mother died in the early 19th century on the island of Reunion, then called Bourbon, off the coast of Madagascar. The man who enslaved him was a botanist who fussed and fumed over his vanilla orchids, which simply would not bloom. Now, historians don't know if the young Mr. Albias was ordered to find a solution or if he came up with it on his own. But in 1841, he developed the technique, flattening the anther sac and the stigma of the orchid blossom with his finger and thumb. And that is still used today all over the world to pollinate vanilla orchids manually and produce large quantities of the extract. The orchid's bloom is brief. Morning sees them unfurl in wide display. But by noon, the flower closes, making the window for hand pollination very narrow. Then, for each pollinated blossom, it takes nearly a year to fully grow and dry the beans. When the pods shrivel and become supple, they turn a dark brown color and then give off the rich aroma. Farmers today grow about four and a half million pounds of dried vanilla beans annually. But it takes about 300 hand pollinated orchid blossoms to produce just one pound. So if wind and unusually heavy rains knock these blooms off early, farmers must start the whole lengthy years long process from scratch. They don't cultivate them indoors because of the extremely high costs of providing enough space, heat, indirect sunlight and humidity for the vines, which grow draped on trees and shrubs and extend to upward of 100ft, flourishing under the soft, dappled light that pokes through a tree canopy. Because the production of real vanilla is so labor intensive, scientists have experimented with creating substitutes. But many of these substitutes are terrible for the environment, creating large amounts of wastewater. When I cook or make gifts for friends using vanilla beans, my fingertips stay oiled with the scent of vanilla beans and the tiniest whiff of orchids for days. The scent creates a kind of nostalgia of having sweets cooked up for me at various family gatherings that my grandparents in India and the Philippines have passed on to my parents here in the States, and that I hope get carried on to my sons living in north Mississippi. It would be a pity to lose these soothing, warm sensations to something chemically made and one dimensional while the real deal gets relegated to the memory bins of an older generation. Mostly, I hope that we'll learn to recognize the value and the time it takes to grow a single vanilla pod, especially in the tropical belt full of birdsong and bright colored insects. Under that colorful canopy of wild and audacious feather and carapace, the pale vanilla orchid glows as if it were a sentinel, a lighthouse offering us a gentle warning before it's too late.
[08:36]
Podcast Host
If you like this show, follow it on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts. This show is produced by Derek Arthur, Sofia Alvarez, Boyd, Vishaka Durba, Phoebe Lett, Christina Samulewski and Gillian Weinberger. It's edited by Kari Pitkin, Alison Bruzek and Annie Rose Strasser. Engineering, mixing and original music by Isaac Jones, sonia Herrero, Pat McCusker, Carol Saburo and Afim Shapiro. Additional music by Amin Sahota. The Fact Check team is Kate Sinclair, Mary Marge Lacquer and Michelle Harris. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta, Christina Samulewski and Adrian Rivera. The executive producer of Times Opinion Audio is Annie Rose.