Becky Whittaker, age 12, of White Plains, N.Y., for her question:

WHERE DO WE GET VANILLA?

Vanilla is the name of a group of climbing orchids. From the fruit of the vanilla vine comes the extract that is used to flavor ice cream, candy and other food items.

The vanilla vine has been cultivated in Mexico for hundreds of years. This type of vanilla has been introduced into other tropical areas. Madagascar, Reunion (in Africa) and the Comoro Islands now produce more than three fourths of the world's supply. Lots of vanilla also comes from Tahiti.

The vanilla vine has little rootlets by which the plant attaches itself to trees. The cultivated plant lives about 10 years and produces its first crop after three years.

The vine produces a fruit in the shape of a cylindrical pod from five to 10 inches long. The pods are beans and are gathered when they are a yellow green in color. They are then cured or dried until they turn a rich chocolate brown color. The curing gives it the flavor and aroma of vanilla as we know it.