Difference between revisions of "Vanilla discovery tour"

Revision as of 16:30, 4 August 2022

Whether exploring a national park in the SAVA region or just travelling through Sambava, the de facto world capital of vanilla agriculture, a tour of a vanilla plantation combined with a visit to a vanilla production and export facility can give visitors an insight into the lenghty and labour intensive process of transforming the green fruits of the vanilla orchid into a fragrant black natural vanilla spice that is the much appreciated ingredient in quality ice creams, pastries along with countless food products.

What can be seen depends on the activities that are happening at the time of visiting. Between May and June, the picking of green vanilla beans is done across plantations on the northwest coast around Sambava, Antalaha and Vohemar as well as further inland, while at higher altitudes, around Andapa and Marojejy, the harvesting usually takes place in July and early August.

After harvesting, the green vanilla crops are brought by the farmers to organised green vanilla markets across all vanilla producing regions where buyers will place bids for their yearly harvests. A minimum price is set by the governent each year, which in 2022 was 75,000 Ar per kilogram of green vanilla.

The crops are bought mostly by exporters who manage the months-long transforming process of the green beans into black vanilla beans. The beans will lose moisture and shrink during the drying process and every six kilos of green beans will yeild approximately one kilogram of black beans.

Througout the transformation, known as the curing process, the beans are graded and grouped into classifications: Grade A being Gourmet Quality, Grade B Extract quality and Grade C which are known as Cuts & Splits. The classifications are presumed to be indicators of quality, but they are in fact classifications of himidity and suitability for different end-uses. Low-humidity beans are best suited for large-scale food processing purposes since they can easily ground into powder and mixed into various food products. Grade B, or Extract grade vanilla beans, is a definition for the vanilla that is considered typically suited for the production of vanilla extracts, while Grade A beans, or gourmet quality beans, are selected in part for their appearance and therefore more attractive to end-consumers who split open the pods to use for various home baking purposes.

Yet, all grades can be used in cooking and baking. While grade A may have a stronger scent and a better overall appearance, Grade B or even C with the lowest moisture contents will always offer the greatest volume per kilogram, effectively providing more vanilla and flavouring for the same weight, often at a lower price than Grade A beans.

In Madagascar, vanilla is rarely used in cooking and baking and almost exclusively farmed for export purposes. Since the price of vanilla peaked at around USD 500 per kilo in 2018 and 2019, countless farmers invested their time and effort in cultivating more vanilla as their primary cash crop.

Vanilla beans grow best in light but shaded conditions. Partly and fully grown green vanilla beans can be seen at plantations between March and up until harvesting time.

Historically, the type of vanilla grown in Madagascar is of the Planifolia species, also known as Bourbon vanilla or simply Madagascar vanilla. The "Bourbon" part refers to a French owned slave on La Reunion, known as Bourbon Island, who discovered how to pollinate vanilla by hand, since in the orchids original environment, pollination only occurs by bees native to Mexico.

Apart from flavouring sweets in countless food and drink products, vanilla is used in essential oils, cosmetics, toiletries, perfumes as well as in medicines.

Vanillin ...