Vanilla: The world's most popular flavor. 

It's beloved in kitchens everywhere - and no one knows its value better than Pascal Fontana, owner of Pascal and Cathy Bakery in Pompano Beach.

A true Frenchman and a stickler for natural ingredients, Pascal uses vanilla by the pound in his signature pastries: elegant éclairs, fluffy Napoleons, and irresistible macaroons. "In almost every pastry, it's important to have good vanilla," he said.

But the rich flavor that sets Pascal's creations apart comes at a steep price - eight ounces of vanilla beans now cost a staggering $100. 

Most of the world's vanilla hails from Madagascar, an island off East Africa, and the long journey - complete with hefty shipping fees and tariffs- drives up the cost.

Researchers at the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead hope to change that. Plant breeder and geneticist Dr. Xingbo Wu is working with local growers to develop vanilla as a viable crop in South Florida, a region with the perfect tropical climate for this vining orchid. 

"Ideally, I would like 15 to 20 growers. It's a shared effort to domesticate and commercialize it," Dr. Wu explained.

Growing vanilla isn't easy - it takes more than three years to produce a single vanilla bean, and every flower must be pollinated by hand. 

"Every single flower requires human intervention. It leads to substantial efforts in labor," Wu said.

Still, Pascal Fontana is hopeful. 

"If it works locally, it would be a help for business," he said, dreaming of the day when world-class pastries can be made with homegrown vanilla—and perhaps, at a sweeter price.