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This week we’re going to look at the history of vanilla. Vanilla has a remarkable story filled with history intrigue, passion and piracy. Vanilla flavors food, beverages and even our favorite chocolate bar. It’s a secret ingredient that makes a lot of medicine go down more easily and it is in most bottles of perfume. Last, but most certainly not least, vanilla helps to lift spirits, soothe jangled nerves, calms you down, makes you feel good and can even help you lose weight.

Vanilla is the flavoring derived from the orchid. Vanilla is native to Mexico; the name vanilla comes from the Sp...