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'''Whether you're a visiting exploring a national park in the SAVA region or just happen to be passing travelling through Sambava, the de facto world capital of the world's vanillaagriculture, a tour of a vanilla plantation combined with a visit to a vanilla plantation production facility will give visitors an insight into the lenghty and a preparation facility offers a memorable take-away experience from this part labour intensive process of transforming the green fruits of vanilla orchids into the fragrant black natural vanilla spice that is the islandworld's favourite ingredient in quality ice creams, pastries and countless other food products.'''

What can be seen depends on the time of the year and and which activities that are ongoing, which change slightly from year to yearat the time of a visit. Generally, during Between May and June, the harvesting of green vanilla beans take place close to is done across plantations on the northwest coast around Sambava, Antalaha, and Vohemar as well as further into the countryside. At inland, while at higher altitudes, around Andapa and in other mountainous regionsMarojejy, the harvesting usually takes place in July or and early August.

After harvesting, the green vanilla beans crops are traded at market places brought by the farmers to vanilla markets across the vanilla producing regions where vanilla buyers place competing bids with farmers and cooperativesbid for their produce. These markets are regulated in that a A minimum price is setby the governent each year, which in 2022 was 75,000 Ar per kilogramof green vanilla.

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

Througout the transofrmationtransformation, known as the curing process, the beans are graded and classified in into different end-usesgrouped by classifications: Grade A being Gourmet Quality, Grade B being Extract quality and Grade C, which are so-called known as Cuts & Splits. The These classifications , sometimes mistaken for indicators of quality, are defined by the level of based on humidityand thereby suitability for different endn-uses.

Low-humidity beans are most suitable suited for large -scale food processing purposes since the dryer beans are the more easily as they can easily be ground into powder and mixed into with various food products. Grade B, or Extract gradevanilla beans, is a lose definition for the vanilla beans grade that are is typically suitable used for the production of vanilla extracts, while Grade A beans, being or gourmet qualitybeans, selected in part based on their appearancewhich have the highest humidity, are usually typically favoured by chefs and end-consumers who will split open the black unsplit pods which consumers are most familiar to scrape out its seeds to mix into various cooking and baking creations. But 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 withits lowest moisture content will offer the highest volume per kilogram, effectively providing more vanilla and flavouring for the same weight at a lower price than Grade A beans.

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 stonger scent Since the price of vanilla peaked at around USD 500 per kilo in 2018 and better appearance2019, the more dry Grade B or even C with countless farmers have invested their low moisture level time and which lack visual appearance, will however offer greater volume per kilogramefforts in cultivating vanilla as their primary cash crop.

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

Vanilla beans grow best Historically, the type of vanilla grown in Madagascar is the Planifolia species, also known as Bourbon vanilla or simply Madagascar vanilla. The species originates from Mesoamerica where it grew centuries ago. The "Bourbon" part is a historical 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 light but shaded conditionstheir original habitat, pollination can only occur by bees native to Mexico. Partly  Apart from flavouring sweets in countless food and fully grown green drink products, vanilla is used in essential oils, cosmetics, toiletries, perfumes as well as in medicines. The medicinal values 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 can 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 seen at many plantations 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 March a Planifolia and up until harvesting timeTahitian grown in a same terroir in for example Madagascar.  == Videos == Sorting Cuts & Splits * WB-sx4b1JLg