Vanilla: a powerful and unique flavour

The scent of vanilla, a powerful aroma, which revokes a warm and homely feeling with most of us, often reminding us of a comfy kitchen and coziness. Cunning bakeries use vanilla-scented blowers to entice people in. A deep gulp of vanilla flavour is sufficient to send our taste and smell buds into full ecstasy and is therefore one of the most successful flavours in the whole wide world.

After saffron, vanilla is the most expensive spice on the planet and irreplaceable in a number of widely distributed products, such as Coca Cola and ofcourse ice cream, just to name a few. This particular flavoring is often used in a variety of baking recipes and even in several perfumes and cosmetics.

Despite the discovery of synthetic vanillin, the taste of real organic vanillin is unbeatable. When Coca Cola decided to replace the plant-based ingredient with the artificial version in 1985, sales dropped so much that they were forced to switch back to using the real stuff. Many companies in the food industry prefer real vanilla and more specifically ‘bourbon vanilla’, the most sought-after variety, grown in Madagascar, known as the cream of the crop.

The plant was already cultivated by the Aztecs in ancient Mexico and eventually found its way around the world. Today it is cultivated in tropical regions of Africa, Latin-America and Asia, with Madagascar being the biggest producer, known for its unbeatable quality and the best aroma.

Vanilla’s unmistakable flavor comes from its pods, which are actually fruits of the vanilla orchid. The green berries are picked when they’re still unripe and are then shortly heated and dried so they can start fermenting. As a result, the fruits are now turning into black sticks and finally arrive at their final stage producing their enchanting smell. The sultry aroma can be smelled everywhere along the Vanilla Coast during their drying process.

Because the flowers have to be pollinated manually, growing vanilla is a labour-intensive and expensive process. This is because the bee species responsible for pollinating the flowers back in Mexico only is found locally. In 1841 it was discovered that by manual pollination it was possible to grow orchids successfully in the colonies of that time. In particular, Réunion, the Seychelles, the Comoros and especially Madagascar became the largest supplier in the world. Today, Indonesia is the second largest producer after Madagascar.

Few people are aware that the vanilla-extract and vanilla sugar added during baking are actually artificial. The use of vanilla pods provides a more profound taste and has been used by top chefs all around the world for decades. It’s perfectly possible to make your own vanilla sugar by adding a small amount of powdered vanilla to sugar. A small cost adding a rewarding value to your recipes. 

Good vanilla is the end result of a long process and has to undergo several steps before turning into real quality. It finds its way to the storm in the form of untreated sticks, liquid extract and powder. We sell both bourbon vanilla pods and powder, all organically grown and without GMOs, straight from our farms in Madagascar.