Gebrüder Wollenhaupt GmbH Discovered. Cultivated. Esteemed. The Aztecs were the first to discover and cultivate vanilla. They used it not only as a spice but also as a perfume and healing remedy. This precious natural product was brought to Europe by the Spanish. Introduced by the French, it began to be cultivated on the islands of the Indian Ocean. It first appeared on Reunion, then known as "Ile Bourbon" (hence the term Bourbon vanilla). Today, it is grown throughout the world in the humid, subtropical climatic zone. Esteemed the world over, the uses of this natural treasure are not confined to the food industry. It is equally popular among the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and perfume industries. The Queen. True natural vanilla is known as the "queen of spices". Used as a tea flavouring, there is nothing else like it in the world in terms of its pleasurable effect on the senses. "It's majesty" enjoys an accordingly high reputation among connoisseurs and consumers. It is, after all, an extremely versatile product which can be used to flavour meat and fish dishes as well as desserts. The effect of vanilla is characterised by a remarkably precious quality: the gift of harmony. From a botanical point of view, the uniqueness of this natural product is due to its composition, consisting of a mixture of aromatic ingredients (of which approx. 400 have been identified to date) with basal components such as sugar, cellulose, waxes, fats and water. Of the thousands of orchid species, there are three which produce the spice vanilla. The most highly esteemed species is the so-called Bourbon vanilla, which originates from Madagascar, the Comoros and Reunion. And it's always in stock at Wollenhaupt! Only the best for our customers - your wish is our command!