Heaven's Delight - Vanilla
Commercial vanilla is the fruit (capsule) obtained from several different species of Orchidaceae, namely, Vanilla pompona Schiede (West Indian vanilla), Vanilla tahitiensis J. M. Moore (Tahiti vanilla) and Vanilla planifolia Jackson (Mexican vanilla). The most important is Vanilla planifolia Jackson, from which almost all vanilla fruits come from (Ferrão, 1993).
The genus Vanilla has about 100 species, and the Orchidaceae family is one of the largest in the Plant Kingdom, with more or less 20,000 species. Etymologically, the word vanilla came from the Spanish vainilla, which means a small pod, due to the great similarity between this fruit and a true pod (Ferrão, 1992; Mabberley, 1993).
Floriculture is the field that we immediately recall when we think of orchid plants. However, the genus Vanilla is the only one of the family that is of direct economic interest.
Some rural societies in Turkey and Greece still use salep, a staple flour made from the tubers of certain orchids, especially those included in the genus Orchis. Although the use of orchids for this purpose is rather localised, it is bringing some species of this genus to the edge of extinction (Baumann, 1996).
The vanilla plant is a vine, native from the tropical forests of Central America and some areas of South America. In its natural habitat, it may reach a length of 25 meters, climbing with the help of adventitious roots. The stems are thick and fleshy green; the leaves are alternate, long elliptical, sessile and bright green. The flowers, in clusters, appear in the leaf axils. They live only 8 hours and die if fertilization fails to occur. The plant blooms three years after the cuttings are planted and the yellow greenish fruits many have up to 90,000 seeds, taking five to seven months to mature. The fruit is scentless when harvested, it has a length between 10 to 25 cm and a weight of 5 to 30g (Ferrão, 1993).
Vanilla was brought to Europe by the Spanish conquerors of the New World. They found it in Mexico, when Montezuma, the last Aztec Emperor, offered them a drink made of chocolate, vanilla, red pepper and honey. Local aristocracy used it to flavor chocolate, a custom still practised today (Brosse et al. 1989).
The Dutch introduced vanilla in Java (Indonesia), a former European colony in East Indies, at the beginning of the nineteenth century and the French did the same in the Reunion Island, Mauritius and Madagascar, all located in the Southwest Indian Ocean.
Sugar was first grown in New Guinea around 9000 years ago, which New guinea traders trade cane stalks to different parts of the world. In the New world christopher columbus introduced cane sugar to caribbean islands. At first sugar was unknown in Europe but was changed when sugar trade first began. Sugar trade was driven by the factors of production land which provided all natural resources labor what provided human resources for work and capital which includes all the factories and the money that’s used to buy land. Consumer demand was why sugar trade continued to increase.
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” is a novel written by Oscar Wilde. The story takes place in England, where the artist Basil Hallward paints a portrait of the young and beautiful Dorian Gray. During his stay at the artist’s studio, he gets introduced to Lord Henry who later becomes one of the most influential people in his life. Dorian Gray becomes aware of his amazing beauty and youthfulness due to the portrait and wishes that the portrait ages instead of him. His wish comes true, Dorian remains beautiful and youthful while the portrait changes. Lord Henry becomes his best friend and motivates him to live in abundance, to sin and always strive for beauty. After a while, Dorian discovers that his portrait doesn’t only age, but also changes face expression as a result of all his sins and evil deeds. Dorian gets anxious by the fact that the portrait shows his evil soul and is scared that somebody will see it, therefore he hides it. The portrait haunts Dorian although it’s hidden. As Dorian’s sins gets worse, he feels that he can’t handle the pressure anymore and decides to destroy the portrait that shows his true self.
To any top chef around the world, nutmeg is a highly prized spice. Nutmeg is known for its aromatic, aphrodisiac and curati...
Louis Riel shaped the modern Canadian society and impacted many races such as beliefs. His actions support for the Metis people, courageous for standing out for his beliefs and for others, his death and actions will not be forgotten. Thanks to Louis Riel, Canada has the province of Manitoba which has two official languages, the Metis been recognized, and many schools like Catholic and Protestant separated, his plan to make everyone equal everyone out and to devise of Canada with many races was successful. Louis Riel did not receive a fair trial due to his actions. Today Riel is seen a loyalist who stood up for others and represented those who could not represent themselves.
The classic novel by Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray inspires beauty, and romance. The main focus of the novel is aesthetics, a philosophical view detailing the nature of creation and appreciation of art and beauty. The tragedy of the young Dorian Gray after becoming misled by his companion, Lord Henry Wotton, is one that causes many to reform ideas on life and purpose. Lord Henry believes in hedonism, a thought stating that pleasure is the only true good; he declares, “The only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and fulfilment of the senses” (Wilde). This outlook is tempting for many persons, including that of the title character, Dorian Gray. In contrast to Lord Henry is an artist named Basil Hallward, whom perceives Dorian to be his muse; serving as inspiration, and purpose. Basil has many moral traits including trust, compassion, and kindness. His infatuation with Dorian causes him to change his art and style, composing an exquisite painting of the young boy. Basil states, “the work I have done, since I met Dorian Gray, is good work, is the best work of my life…his personality has suggested to me an entirely new manner in art, an entirely new mode of style. I see things differently.” (Wilde). Dorian becomes so mesmerized by the beauty of the picture and the words of Lord Henry that he wishes for the picture to depict his sins and age, rather than his physical being. To the surprise of the young Dorian, his wish becomes fulfilled. This theme shares similarity to the Faust story, as the title character exchanges his soul for pleasures
Riel’s leadership in the agitation, especially his decision to execute Canadian Thomas Scott, did not settle well with the Catholic settlements in Ontario. Shortly after, he was chosen to represent Canada in the House of Commons, but did not take his seat. Because of his role in the death of Scott, he was exiled from Canada. These years in exile included two stays in Quebec Asylums, and the belief in Riel that he had a religious mission to lead the Metis peoples of Canada. During his absence from Canada he worked in Montana at a Jesuit mission, Louis was asked by a delegation from the Metis community from the South branch of Saskatchewan river to present their resentment to the Government of Canada. Despite all that Riel did, it was not enough for the Canadian Government, as they ignored the Metis’ concerns. By March 1885, Metis patience was disabled, and a provisional government was declared. Riel was the spiritual and political head of the short lived rebellion in 1885. He never carried weapons of hindered the work of his military lead, Gabriel Dumont. Riel was influenced by his own belief that it was his duty to lead the Metis people. Shortly after, on May 19, Riel surrendered to
Tobacco was first discovered in the Americas and became a cash crop. It was imported back to Europe, where it became vastly popular. As many middle class Europeans began smoking, the demand for more tobacco from the Americas increased; colonies were set up to produce tobacco. With the demand for tobacco so high, labor was needed to farm the crop, causing slaves to be imported. There is no exact date to when the discovery of tobacco occurred, but tobacco dates as far back to the Mayans and Aztecs.
An Uncommitted Child The novel, High Fidelity by Nick Hornby, describes the life of a man who lives through his music and his childish ways. Rob Fleming is a man who struggles with commitment when it comes to what he needs, yet commits to what he wants. This lack of commitment leaves Rob struggling with the relationships with the people in his daily life. Living his life in a careless and childish manner, Rob Fleming burns the bridges with those who are close to him, and as a result realizes how much he truly cares for them when it’s too late. There were many jobs that Rob had taken over over the years; with each job he has there is a lack of passion and drive which results in his lack of commitment.
In "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, we see a beautiful young man who makes tremendous efforts to transform the actual world into the idealistic world of art, dreams and sensations. Dorian's quest, however, culminates in his ultimate tragic destruction. Given that Dorian lives a corrupt life, one is likely to focus on the negative aspects of his character. In spite of his significant character flaws, Dorian Gray may still be considered a hero. This essay will examine Dorian's degradation from the innocent world to the vicious, sensation-oriented world. The elements contributing to Dorian’s status of tragic hero will then be discussed.
Beowulf is a complex character that is cast as the ultimate hero and champion, whose greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. Though his obsession with power yield him courage and strength that allow him to defeat enemies most other warriors cannot bring themselves to fight, his unilateral quest for glory leaves his citizens and kingdom desolate and unprepared for the difficulties they face. Beowulf may be the greatest warrior of one of the greatest epics written, but as is said in the last words about him in the book, his most notable trait is not his greatness as a leader and king but that he is the “keenest to win fame”.
In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray goes through the Hero’s Journey because of the challenges he had been through, the way he transformed, and his crisis.
Authors of every genre use images in their works to stand in as metaphors, similes, and more often as simple descriptions. Kate Chopin is very well known for her use of images in her writing. Kate Chopin uses imagery in her stories to build the characters and provide metaphors for their lives.
Take out the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds from the pod into the warm milk with the tip of a paring knife.
Cotton belongs to Gossypium, a genus named by Linnaeus in the middle of the 18th century. The genus has been classified in both the Malvaceae or mallow family and the Bombacaceae families and in both the Hibsceae and Gossypieae tribes.
Wilde, Oscar, and Michael Patrick. Gillespie. The Picture of Dorian Gray: Authoritative Texts, Backgrounds, Reviews and Reactions, Criticism. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2007. Print.