The different types of vanilla pods

Fruit of certain tropical creeper orchids of Mesoamerican origin, vanilla pods are now known internationally and used in the preparation of sweet and savory dishes.

However, among the varieties of vanilla pods available, which one should you use to prepare your dishes?

If in one of our previous articles, we had discussed the two main categories of vanilla that you can find on the market, in particular red vanilla and black vanilla. This month, Sambavanilla, your quality vanilla supplier, tells you more about the varieties of vanilla beans available on the market.

Vanilla pods: the different varieties

Did you know that there are several varieties of vanilla pods, but only 3 are marketed in the world? The 3 varieties are:

Vanilla planifolia:

Vanilla planifolia or vanilla fragrans is a variety of vanilla pods produced mainly in the Indian Ocean Islands, but you can also find it in India, Indonesia, Uganda, and the Tonga Islands. This type of vanilla pod is better known under the name "Vanille Bourbon" which is a label to help differentiate Indian Ocean vanilla from other productions.

Tahitian vanilla:

Vanilla Tahitensis or vanilla from Tahiti is a variety resulting from a cross between Bourbon vanilla and vanilla odorata. Tahitian vanilla beans have a stronger scent than other varieties and have more fruity notes.

Vanilla Pompona:

Also called "banana vanilla", this type of vanilla pod is produced in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Brazil and Guyana. Pompona vanilla is mainly cultivated for the production of local vanilla and its aromatic palette offers sweet notes: a subtle blend of liquorice and tobacco leaves. There are also Pompona vanillas in Madagascar which are also called "Vanilla du Mexico” with pods up to 25 cm in length. However, this variety does not benefit from the Bourbon appellation.

How to properly use vanilla pods?

No matter what type of vanilla pods you use in cooking or baking, the most important thing is to know how to use it in order to exploit all its aromatic potential and capture the different essences in the mouth.

What you need to know is that in a vanilla pod, it is the seeds that contain the majority of the taste properties. In order to extract as much as possible from the pod, flatten it with the back of your knife. Then use the point to split it in half and scrape out the inside.

Above all, do not throw away the vanilla bean! If you use Tahitian vanilla, you can put the pod in your sugar pot to make vanilla sugar. For other types of vanilla pods, you can infuse them in milk to then make your hot or cold drink or the base of your pastry cream.

Need vanilla pods? Contact Sambavanilla!

Sambavanilla unearths for you the best vanilla pods from the plantations with the essential Bourbon vanilla, the only variety labeled "Bourbon" since 1964 (label grouping the vanillas of the Indian Ocean).

So if you need quality vanilla beans, contact us! Whether you are looking for Planifolia, Tahiti or Pompona vanilla pods, you will find what you are looking for in our online store. In addition, we offer recipes to make with the different vanilla pods in our blog.

Your order is taken care of within 24 hours and delivered quickly to your home. We also take care of carefully packaging the products for international delivery.

Order your Comoros bourbon vanilla online on Sambavanilla

Do not hesitate to come and discover our products in our online store and to contact us if necessary.

Sambavanilla also offers a whole range of recipes around vanilla through sweet and savory dishes.