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'''Whether you're a visiting tourist to a national park in the SAVA region or happen to be just passing through Sambava on business, the de facto world capital of vanilla, a visit to a vanilla plantation and a preparation facility offers a memorable take-away experience from this part of the islandregion.'''
What may can be seen depends on which the activities that are ongoing at the time, which changes slightly from season to season. Generally, during May and June, harvesting of green vanilla beans happen is happening close to the northwest coast around Sambava, Antalaha, Vohemar as well as further into the countryside. At higher altitudes, around Andapa and in other mountainous regionsMarojejy, harvesting usually takes place in July or August.
After harvesting, green vanilla beans are traded at market places where vanilla buyers place competing bids with farmers and cooperatives. These yearly markets are regulated and whereby a minimum price is set by the government each year, which in 2022 was 75,000 Ar per kilogram of green vanilla.
The harvests are green vanilla is sold mostly sold to local exporters who manage the curing of the beans; the months-long transformation process transforming of converting the green beans beans into the black pods that are familiar to consumers.
Througout the transofrmationtransformations, known as the curing process, the beans are graded and classified in into different end-uses: Grade A being Gourmet Quality, Grade B being Extract quality and Grade C that are so-called Cuts & Splits. The classifications are defined by the level of humidity and their suitability for the end-use.
Low-humidity beans are most suitable for large processing purposes since dryer beans are more easily ground into powder and mixed into various food productsthan the moist black beans. Grade B, or Extract grade, is a loose definition to describe for the vanilla beans that are typically suitable for production of vanilla extracts, while Grade A beans, being gourmet quality, are selected in part based on by their visual appearance, are being the black unsplit pods which consumers that is usually preferred by chefs and anyone cooking or home baking at home.
The above said, all grades can be used in cooking and baking. While grade A may have a stonger scent and better appearance, the drier Grade B or even C with their low moisture level which lack , although lacking visual appearance, will however offer greater volume per kilogram, so giving more vanilla can simply be applied for a and more significant vanilla flavourfor 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 a 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 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 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.