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'''Whether exploring one of the nationals a national park in the SAVA region or passing just travelling through Sambava, the de facto capital of the world's vanilla agriculture, a tour of a vanilla plantation combined with a visit to a vanilla plantation and preparation production facility offers the curious the will give visitors an insight into the lenghty and labour intensive process of how transforming the green fruits of vanilla is transformed from a beautiful orchid orchids into the fragrant black natural vanilla spicethat is the world's favourite ingredient in quality ice creams, pastries and countless other food products.'''

What can be seen depends on the activities that are happening ongoing at the time, which varies slightly from season to seasonof a visit. Generally speaking, between Between May and June, the plucking of harvesting green vanilla beans happen along is done across plantations on the northwest coast around Sambava, Antalaha and Vohemar as well as further into the countrysideinland, while at higher altitudes, around Andapa and Marojejy, the harvesting usually takes place in July or and early August.

After harvesting, the green vanilla beans crops are traded at organised market places brought by the farmers to vanilla markets across the vanilla producing regions where buyers place competing bids to farmers and cooperatives bid for the yearly harvesttheir produce. These markets are regulated and a A minimum price is set by the industry and the governmentgovernent each year, which in 2022 was 75,000 Ar per kilogram of green vanilla.

The green vanilla is bought mostly by local crops are sold mainly to exporters and producers who manage the approximately three months-long transforming transformation of the green beans into black vanilla beans. As the beans into lose moisture and shrink during the drying process, every six kilos of green beans will produce approximately one kilogram of black pods that familiar to most peoplevanilla beans.

Througout the transformation, also known as the curing process, the beans are graded and grouped into based on suitability for different end-usesby classifications: Grade A being Gourmet Quality, Grade B Extract quality and Grade C which are also known as Cuts & Splits. These classifications, sometimes mistaken for indicators of quality, are based on humidity and thereby suitability for different endn-uses.

The classifications are defined by the level of humidity. Low-humidity beans are suitable suited for large -scale food processing purposes, since the dryer beans are as they can easily be ground into powder and mixed into with various food products. Grade B, or Extract grade vanilla beans, is a definition for the vanilla beans grade that are is typically intended used for the production of vanilla extracts , while Grade A beans, or gourmet qualitybeans, which have the highest humidity, are selected typically favoured by chefs and end-consumers who will split open the pods to scrape out its seeds to mix into various cooking and baking creations. But all grades can be used in part cooking and baking. While grade A may have a stronger scent and a better overall appearance, Grade B or even C with its lowest moisture content will offer the highest volume per kilogram, effectively providing more vanilla and flavouring for their appearance. Quality the same weight at a lower price than Grade A beans are usually preferred by chefs for home baking purposes.

The above saidIn Madagascar, all grades can be vanilla is rarely used in home cooking and bakingalmost exclusively farmed for export purposes. While grade A may have a stronger scent Since the price of vanilla peaked at around USD 500 per kilo in 2018 and a better appearance2019, the drier Grade B or even C with countless farmers have invested their low moisture levels, although lacking time and efforts in appearance, will offer greater volume per kilogram, giving more cultivating vanilla and flavour for the same weightas their primary cash crop.

In Madagascar, vanilla is rarely used Vanilla beans grow best in cooking or home baking light but shaded conditions. Partly and is almost exclusively sold as cash-crop for export purposes. Since the last peak price of black fully grown green vanilla beans can be seen at around USD 500 per kilo in 2018 plantations between March and 2019, countless farmers have invested their up until harvesting time in cultivating specifically vanilla.

Vanilla beans grow best Historically, the type of vanilla grown in light but shaded conditionsMadagascar is the Planifolia species, also known as Bourbon vanilla or simply Madagascar vanilla. Partly and fully grown green vanilla beans can be seen at many plantations between March and up until harvesting timeThe species originates from Mesoamerica where it grew centuries ago.

The "Bourbon" part is a hostorical reference a French owned slave on La Reunion, then known as Île Bourbon, who discovered how to pollinate the vanilla orchids by hand to bear fiuits, since in their original habitat, pollination can only occur by bees native to Mexico. Apart from adding a certain magical flavours flavouring sweets from craft ice creams in countless food and cookies and countless deserts to drink products, vanilla can also be found is used in essential oils, cosmetics, toiletries and , perfumes as well as in medicines. The medicinal usesvalues are ... The price of different vanilla has in part been determinded by its vanillin percentage, the higher the vanillin percentage, the the higher the price, with the Thaitian variety having fetched record prices in recent years while the Mexican variately (Pompona) having had the lowest and the Magascan planifolia usually placed between. However, studies have shown that high values of 2% or more does not necesssarily equate to an improved taste quality. So a high vanillin percentage is something that can just look good on paper. Instead, beans with a vanillin percentage value of around 1.7% were considered to have the most balanced flavour profile and the highest overall score. There are subtle taste differences, which may easily only be distinquisged by a master chef or gourmandise, and while the terroir makes a difference, Planifolia is known for its floral notes, Pompona for having a more subtle flavour and Thaitian being known for its anaise notes and sweetness. As Thaitian is hybrid between Planifolia and Odorata, it may prove difficult to tell the differnce between a Planifolia and Tahitian grown in a same terroir in for example Madagascar.  == Videos == Sorting Cuts & Splits * WB-sx4b1JLg