CROSSROADS Language StudioÊs Newsletter F ebruary
ebruary,
ry , 2024
202 4
Simultaneously, an artificial vanilla was created andcurrently only 1% of all vanilla used is of the naturalorigin, on account of its outrageous cost.

Vanilla is one of the most recognisable spices in
the world. Mexico’s Totonac indigenous people were
the first to use the pods for their sweet aroma.
Vanilla is an orchid species, naturally growing onlyin the jungles of Central America. It is a highly
specialised plant that requires a specific fungus totrigger seed germination, a tree for the vine to growon, and a unique species of bee to naturally pollinate
the flower.
When the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes
visited the Aztecs, in 1519, he was the first to
introduce the vanilla pods to the Old Continent. Fromthen on, the spice exploded in popularity across theworld, with every empire trying to grow and trade init. However, because of the orchid’s specialised
nature, it proved impossible to pollinate and growfruits from the plant, thus bringing the price Ellaof dried
vanilla pods to astronomical prices. In 2018, 1kg ofthe spice reached its all-time peak of 83,000yen, morevaluable
than silver, at that time!
JanisIt took farmers around the world more than 300years of attempts at pollination to finally discover thateach flower has, in fact, both male and female parts.
Manually touching them together guarantees a
successful pollination. The news of this technique
immediately spread across the globe, and soon themarkets were flooded with vanilla spice.

To meet the insatiable demand for the plant, and in
search of more affordable sources of vanillin – thecrystals that contain the aroma compound - scientists
have discovered that beavers (yes, beavers!) produce amusky substance, castoreum, under their tail, thatsmells almost exactly like vanilla. With a bit of cleverchemistry, a synthesised vanilla was created, based onthat substance, thus drastically reducing the costs ofproduction and offering a convincing alternative tolabour-intensive, finicky orchid. However, thispractice of extracting castoreum has long beenabandoned, as advances in chemistry made it possible
to make vanillin without an intervention of animals or
the vanilla plant itself.
These days, vanilla is widely used for various
commercial applications. Of course, it is primarily
used in confectionery products, such as ice creams,
cakes and beverages, and it also features heavily in theperfume industry. Their sweet aroma is also used toeffectively conceal certain undesirable smells of goods
commonly found around us, for example car tires,
paint and house cleaning agents.
Vanilla has other very practical, albeit obscure uses.
As it happens, spiders really dislike vanilla! If you
cannot bear the sight and presence of these critters inyour house, spread some vanilla beans aroundwindows and gaps in the doors and they’ll neverbother you again.
Do you enjoy vanilla ice cream? I sure do!

Article by Marek

NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons on the net!
For more information, try this website:
https://matadornetwork.com/read/artificial-vanilla-extract/Joshua Says: I am convinced, climate change is for real! It’s now the middleof February, usually the “coldest” month of the year, but this year, Februaryfeels like Spring! And last summer was stifling! I used to hate winter whilewarm summers seemed only natural to me. Not any more! The way theclimate is changing, I’ll take “winter” any time!
Junko Says: Rapidly advancing AI will be more deeply integrated into our daily lives
in the future. Here are some ideas on how AI will develop in the next 10 years: working
alongside humans assisting in various complex tasks, getting more involved inhealthcare with faster, more accurate diagnoses, becoming more context-aware,
grasping connotation and nuances more accurately, etc. – and, how to prevent AI
technology from replacing people! AI ethics is being regularly discussed internationally.
Marek Says: If you ever wonder whether you should be buying a real
vanilla extract or not, here’s food for thought for you! First, a natural extract
is always dark brown in colour and will have a slightly more complex flavour
than the artificial one. Second, the artificial vanilla is mostly made from clove
oil and wood smoke. They are natural sources of guaiacol, the same chemicalcompound, that gives vanilla its unmistakable flavour and aroma.
Mandcy dit: Joyeuse Saint-Valentin à tous ! Avez-vous mangé beaucoup dechocolats? Personnellement, j'en ai mangé beaucoup beaucoup beaucoup
beaucoup!!! Connaissez-vous l'expression "avoir des papillons dans le ventre?
Cela signifie que quand on aime quelque chose ou quelqu'un beaucoup, on
ressent une étrange sensation dans le ventre. Avez-vous déjà ressenti cela?
Personnellement, c'est sûrement devant un bon gâteau au chocolat !!
1ACROSS
1 hard to see,unclear4 being the most important
5 distinctive one-of-a-kind
7 a type of smell
8 grow or sprout (from seeds, etc)
9 by hand
12 over fussy about details
14 greatly exceeding normal limits
15 left behind, given up
16 usages
17 at this time, now
19 two or more parts mixed together
20 unbelievably large
DOWN
2 persuasive, believable
3 at the same time
6 to fertilize a flowering plant
10 created artificially
11 impossible to satisfy
13 a Spanish adventurer
18 they contain the seeds of plants

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(print versionhere)20

Homonym
Homonyms
yms have the same pronunciation but have different meanings and areoften spelt differently, such as to,
to too or two.
two The sentences below can becompleted by filling in two homonyms in the spaces provided..The list below
contains one word from each homonym pair
you’ll need in each senttence.
1. He _____ the ball _____ the window.
2. The ____ where the building stood was a terrible _____ after the explosion.
3. The _____ made an emergency landing in the middle of the _____.
4. The soldier _____ to defend the _____.
5. She _____ along the _____ for twenty kilometers.
6. It’s only made of stainless _____, so I don’t think anyone will _____ it.
7. You have to _____ the _____ answers on the test sheet.
8. If you come _____ and listen, you’ll _____ everything.
9. They _____ their uniforms throughout the _____.
10. You’ll have to _____. There’s a _____limit of 250kg on this lift.
steel fort through write weight hear wore rodeH Y P O T H E S I SIOMA R C H E T Y P A L
P R O S P E R I T YINLGWCFV A N Q U I S H E DIPARNEEEOSIARPNT H R O U G H O U TTEITENIYEVCNIODE X T I N C T
M O T I FVNW H E N E V E RE
EEVDRDOSU S H E R I N GARR E V O L V E SILNYA S S I G N

plain sight

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution

ACROSS
1 based mostly on theory
4 original or basic type6 financial well-being
9 defeated
12 the whole extent, everywhere
15 no longer existing
16 recurring theme in art or music
17 at every time
18 leading into
19 goes around or centered on
20 give a specific task

DOWN
2 having nearly the samecharacteristics
3 bring into being
5 belonging to times long past
7 in any place
8 made artistically
10 represented as a drawing or sketch
11 having great influence
13 in every case, common to all
14 consuming, eating

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