Vanilla

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/vanilla

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?Genus Vanilla, family Orchidaceae
2. What is the key aromatic compound?Vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde)
3. What is vanilla and where does it come from?Vanilla is the sweet flavor that comes from the pods of a climbing orchid called Vanilla planifolia, which is native to Mesoamerica.
4. How do vanilla orchids get pollinated?In their native home, a special bee called Melipona pollinates the flowers. In other places, people hand-pollinate the flowers with a tiny tool.

Hermaphroditic Flower: A flower possessing both male (stamen) and female (pistil) reproductive organs.
Glycosides: Organic compounds that release vanillin and other aromatic substances during the curing process.
Volatile Compounds: Chemical substances that easily evaporate, contributing significantly to aroma and flavor.