Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla

Vanilla is one of the most widely used flavours in the world.

The plant producing the precious pod belongs to the orchid family. It is a native of Mexico which long had a monopoly on it.

Cultivation required the aid of Melipona bees for pollination until 1800 when Edmond Albius, a young slave of Réunion (previously Île Bourbon), invented a technique for artificial pollination which is still used today. The growers of this island exported their experience to Madagascar, now the country with the highest production of vanilla.

After pollination the flowers turn into light green pods up to 30 centimetres long. They ripen on the plant and are plucked by hand after around 7 months.

They are then dried and processed in order to obtain the typical soft, fragrant small black stick which is then sold.

Processing ensures that the enzymes in the pod release their principal aromatic component – vanillin.

We have decided to use the most prized Madagascar Organic Bourbon Vanilla for our products. It contains a level of vanillin of between 1.6 and 2.4%, which is the highest for naturally occurring vanillin.