4 ms·

Is that really a problem if you can supply the world's needs with 5 plants? One of the older "life hacks" is to put a teaspoon of vanilla extract in the oven t

Is that really a problem if you can supply the world's needs with 5 plants? One of the older "life hacks" is to put a teaspoon of vanilla extract in the oven to make the house smell better. Speaking from experience: don't use more than that or you will regret it. I couldn't visit their house for a week.

CLGrimes 8y ago
Which 5 plants are you referring to?
- reificator 8y ago
  > Which 5 plants are you referring to? It's a cooking joke, because vanilla is incredibly strong. I said 5 plants because it's the fewest needed to be able to split out 80% without fractions.
- dflock 8y ago
  Probably: rice, wheat, cassava, potato, banana? You obviously need to eat some other stuff occasionally, but those plants are the staple diet for a large chunk of the world population.
  - twothamendment 8y ago
    It is old, but potato alone will get you pretty far: https://www.livescience.com/10163-man-eating-potatoes-2-months.html https://www.livescience.com/10163-man-eating-potatoes-2-mont... I'd need some variety just so I didn't go insane.
bokstavkjeks 8y ago
It's kind of a problem in that any supply problems have pretty massive effects on the price. A cyclone hit Madagascar in 2011 which significantly reduced the year's harvest, sending the prices skyrocketing [0]. Anecdotally, there was a time during 2016/2017 where my local stores couldn't even get vanilla pods. [0] https://moneyweek.com/chart-of-the-week-vanilla-could-soon-be-off-the-menu/ https://moneyweek.com/chart-of-the-week-vanilla-could-soon-b...
- xkgt 8y ago
  In 2012, I was chatting with an south indian plantation owner. He had planned take advantage of this huge demand and setup a vanilla farm. But he lost all his investment within a year as the farm got plagued by disease. Not only is it difficult to cultivate, but it seems vanilla is also less resilient to diseases. Perhaps that explains why it is grown only few regions.

CLGrimes 8y ago

Which 5 plants are you referring to?

reificator 8y ago
> Which 5 plants are you referring to? It's a cooking joke, because vanilla is incredibly strong. I said 5 plants because it's the fewest needed to be able to split out 80% without fractions.
dflock 8y ago
Probably: rice, wheat, cassava, potato, banana? You obviously need to eat some other stuff occasionally, but those plants are the staple diet for a large chunk of the world population.
- twothamendment 8y ago
  It is old, but potato alone will get you pretty far: https://www.livescience.com/10163-man-eating-potatoes-2-months.html https://www.livescience.com/10163-man-eating-potatoes-2-mont... I'd need some variety just so I didn't go insane.

bokstavkjeks 8y ago

It's kind of a problem in that any supply problems have pretty massive effects on the price. A cyclone hit Madagascar in 2011 which significantly reduced the year's harvest, sending the prices skyrocketing [0]. Anecdotally, there was a time during 2016/2017 where my local stores couldn't even get vanilla pods. [0] https://moneyweek.com/chart-of-the-week-vanilla-could-soon-be-off-the-menu/ https://moneyweek.com/chart-of-the-week-vanilla-could-soon-b...

xkgt 8y ago
In 2012, I was chatting with an south indian plantation owner. He had planned take advantage of this huge demand and setup a vanilla farm. But he lost all his investment within a year as the farm got plagued by disease. Not only is it difficult to cultivate, but it seems vanilla is also less resilient to diseases. Perhaps that explains why it is grown only few regions.