On Sunday, September 22, 2024 Durand-Hedden House & Garden celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with “Vanilla: The Global Voyage of a Mexican Spice.” The community came to experience Maplewood’s historic house museum and tour the blooming garden and grounds of lovely Grasmere Park, guided by landscape designer Karen Shelby.
Vanilla beans, the fruit of the orchid plant Vanilla planifolia, are indigenous to regions of Mexico and Central America. Guest speaker Professor Rosa Abreu-Runkel, author of “Vanilla: A Global History,” discussed facts and fables of this intriguing spice and intoxicating scent.
“It is a flavor that has defined the entire world—and its roots reach deep into the past. With its earliest origins dating back seventy million years, the history of vanilla begins in ancient Mesoamerica and continues to define and enhance today’s traditions and customs. It has been used by nearly every culture as a spice, a perfume, and even a potent aphrodisiac,” Prof. Abreu-Runkel said.
Attendees enjoyed cookies and vanilla treats from local Springfield Avenue businesses, including tres leches cake (El Rey), Peruvian flan (SandWiCheRia), and Mexican vanilla ice cream (Honey & Hive). People sipped samples of Café da Rosa coffee with Mexican vanilla bean syrup, and tasted vanilla extract.
Retired South Orange-Maplewood Spanish teacher “Señor” Stephen Carberry sang Hispanic music and played guitar throughout the afternoon. Cultural crafts were run by local artist and art teacher Sandra Levine-Charlap on behalf of Maplewood Arts & Culture. People of all ages tried their hand at Mexican Paper Flower making. Colorful paper blooms were everywhere, adorning hats and heads, attached to bags or held as bouquets. Volunteer Ileana A. Castillo added shimmer and sparkle, bejeweling and glittering the faces of visitors.
Photo Credits: Lisa Mainardi, Laura Farrell and Alizeta Diallo
