RUBBER Hevea brasiliensis Spurge family Rubber trees are native to the Brazilian Amazon but now are also grown in plantations in Southeast Asia.Diagonal slashes are made in the bark of the tree and the latex sap that exudes is collected.The latex is mixed with water and heated over a smoky fire to produce a ball of rubber ready for processing. Today most rubber is synthetic;natural rubber is restricted to specialized uses
RUBBER Hevea brasiliensis Spurge family Rubber trees are native to the Brazilian Amazon but now are also grown in plantations in Southeast Asia. Diagonal slashes are made in the bark of the tree and the latex sap that exudes is collected. The latex is mixed with water and heated over a smoky fire to produce a ball of rubber ready for processing. Today most rubber is synthetic; natural rubber is restricted to specialized uses
CACAO Theobroma cacao Sterculia family Cacao is native to the eastern Andes.The Maya and Aztecs made a beverage from the seeds of this plant calling it the "food of the gods."The seeds,after being fermented and pulverized,were mixed with water to produce a beverage.It was not until Europeans added sugar and milk that the world came to know chocolate as we do today.Today,major production areas are in West Africa,Brazil and Mexico
CACAO Theobroma cacao Sterculia family Cacao is native to the eastern Andes. The Maya and Aztecs made a beverage from the seeds of this plant calling it the "food of the gods." The seeds, after being fermented and pulverized, were mixed with water to produce a beverage. It was not until Europeans added sugar and milk that the world came to know chocolate as we do today. Today, major production areas are in West Africa, Brazil and Mexico
VANILLA Vanilla planifolia Orchid family Vanilla is the only orchid that is grown for purposes other than its flowers.It is native to Mexico,and was introduced into Europe in the mid-16th century by the Spanish.The flowers are pollinated by hand or by a small bee and produce an elongated fruit,or "bean",which is fermented to produce vanilla beans.True vanilla flavoring is extracted from the fermented seed pods with alcohol.Today most of the world supply is grown in the Seychelles,Central America and Madagascar
VANILLA Vanilla planifolia Orchid family Vanilla is the only orchid that is grown for purposes other than its flowers. It is native to Mexico, and was introduced into Europe in the mid-16th century by the Spanish. The flowers are pollinated by hand or by a small bee and produce an elongated fruit, or "bean", which is fermented to produce vanilla beans. True vanilla flavoring is extracted from the fermented seed pods with alcohol. Today most of the world supply is grown in the Seychelles, Central America and Madagascar