Good Eatin': Vanilla Beans, Past and Present

This brief history on the evolution of vanilla flavoring and fragrance also includes a description of vanilla products and of vanilla species: Bourbon (applies to beans grown on the Bourbon Islands of Madagascar, Comoro, Santa Maria, and Reunion), Mexican, and Tahitian, and recipes featuring vanilla flavoring.
<http://www.bostonvanillabeans.com/
vanilla_bean_history.htm>