Vanilla is actually the dried fruit pod from orchids. It was first cultivated by Pre-Columbian Mesoamericans and was brought to Europe in the 1520s by Spanish conquistadors. Now grown in the tropical regions of Mexico, the South Pacific, Indonesia, and especially Madagascar, vanilla is the second-most expensive spice after saffron because it’s very labor-intensive to grown the pods. Because of the expense, you'll want to protect your fresh vanilla beans from drying out. Store them in a tightly sealed container (like a glass jar) at room temperature in a cool, dry place in the short term, or in a ziplock bag in the freezer for longer storage.