Vanilla is primarily grown in tropical regions, thriving between latitudes of approximately 20°N and 20°S of the equator. The main producers are Madagascar (around 13°S), Mexico (around 19°N), and Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Tahiti (around 17°S). These regions offer the hot, humid climate and nutrient-rich, well-drained soil necessary for vanilla cultivation. The vanilla plant, Vanilla planifolia, is an orchid that requires specific conditions, such as temperatures between 75°F to 95°F (24°C to 35°C), to grow successfully. Due to the delicate nature of the plant, it must be hand-pollinated, as the natural pollinators are rare. The complex process of pollination, followed by harvesting and curing, makes vanilla one of the most labor-intensive crops to produce. This, combined with the vulnerability of vanilla crops to weather events like cyclones, makes vanilla relatively rare and expensive compared to other flavorings.