'''Whether you're visiting a national one of the nationals park in the SAVA region or just passing through Sambava, the de facto world capital of vanilla, a visit to a vanilla plantation and a preparation facility offers an insight into the process by which vanilla is transformed from a take-away experience beautiful orchid into the highly versiitile black spice that will add certain magical flavours to a wide variety of products from the regioncraft ice creams, countless sweet deserts, drinks, perfumes and much much more.'''
What can be seen depends on the activities that are ongoing happening at the time, which changes slightly from season to season. Generallyspeaking, during May and June, harvesting of green vanilla beans is are happening close to along the northwest coast around Sambava, Antalaha, and Vohemar as well as further into the countryside. At higher altitudes, around Andapa and Marojejy, harvesting usually takes place in July or August.
After harvesting, green vanilla beans are traded at organised market places where buyers will place competing bids with for farmers and cooperativesyearly harvest. These yearly markets are regulated whereby and a minimum price is set by the industry and government, which in 2022 was 75,000 Ar per kilogram of green vanilla. The green vanilla is bought mostly by local exporters who manage the months-long transforming of the green beans beans into the black pods that are most familiar to consumers.
The green vanilla is sold mostly to local exporters who manage Througout the transformations process, also known as the months-long transforming of curing, the green beans beans are graded and grouped into classified based on suitability for different end-uses: Grade A being Gourmet Quality, Grade B Extract quality and Grade C which are also so-called Cuts & Splits. The classifications are based by the black pods that are familiar to consumerslevel of humidity.
Througout Low-humidity beans are suitable for large processing purposes, since the transformationsdryer beans are easily ground into powder and mixed into various food products. Grade B, known as the curing processor Extract grade vanilla beans, is a loose definition for the vanilla beans that are graded and classified in into different end-uses: typically set aside for the production of vanilla extracts, while Grade A being Gourmet Qualitybeans, Grade B being Extract gourmet quality and Grade C that , are so-called Cuts & Splits. The classifications are defined selected in part for their visual appearance, being unsplit pods as usually preferred by the level of humiditychefs and for home baking purposes.
Low-humidity beans are most suitable for large processing purposes since dryer beans are more easily ground into powder The above said, all grades can be used in cooking and mixed into various food products than the moist black beansbaking. Grade B, or Extract While gradeA may have a stronger scent and a better appearance, is a loose definition for the vanilla beans that are typically suitable for production of vanilla extracts, while drier Grade A beansB or even C with their low moisture levels, being gourmet quality, are selected although lacking in part based by their visual appearance, being will offer greater volume per kilogram, giving more vanilla and flavour for the black unsplit pods usually preferred by chefs and anyone home bakingsame weight.
The above saidIn Madagascar, all grades can be vanilla is rarely used in cooking or home baking and bakingis almost exclusively sold as cash-crop for export purposes. While grade A may have a stonger scent Since the last peak price of black vanilla at around USD 500 per kilo in 2018 and better appearance2019, the drier Grade B or even C with countless farmers have invested their low moisture level, although lacking visual appearance, will however offer greater volume per kilogram, giving more time in cultivating specifically vanilla and more flavour for the weight.
In Madagascar, vanilla is rarely used in cooking and home baking and almost exclusively sold as a cash-crop for export purposes. Since the last peak price of black vanilla at around USD 500 per kilo in 2018 and 2019, many farmers have invested their time in cultivating vanilla. Vanilla beans grow best in light but shaded conditions. Partly and fully grown green vanilla beans can be seen at many plantations between March and up until harvesting time.
