Vanilla is grown within 10-20 degrees of the equator.
That said, more refined palates may be able to detect real vs.
; Giroud, M.
; Adams, M.
Artificial vanilla flavoring is often a solution of pure vanillin, usually of synthetic origin.
foodandwine.
The immature green beans are then sorted for size and quality and laid out into the sun for several weeks to complete the drying and curing process.
Tiemann, Ferd.