Vanilla Beans : The way to quality products

Vanilla beans, stars of our sweet and savory dishes, are rich in scents and flavors. Fruit of the vanilla tree, vanilla has followed a long way before arriving in the islands of the Indian Ocean. Did you know ? Madagascar has a favorable climate and geological conditions for growing vanilla.

Questions are growing around the vanilla beans. How to recognize quality vanilla beans ? What types of beans are available and where can you get them ?

In our article this month, we decided to focus on this unique product and provide you with all the information.

Different types of vanilla beans

In order to get to the black bean that we know, vanilla goes through a relatively complex and time-consuming process (it can take a year!). You can find more information on this subject in our article "Vanilla, all about this product"

Among the types of vanilla pods available on the market, we find red vanilla (grade B) and black vanilla (Gourmet).

Red Vanilla (Grade B)

Red vanilla is a vanilla used industrially. Beans are dried to extract as much water as possible and guarantee good product conservation. You can recognize it by the streaks and its bordering red color. Usually it contains less vanillin than Gourmet vanilla.

Black vanilla (Gourmet)

Black vanilla is the caviar of vanilla. It is certainly the most qualitative which carries a floral and powerful scent with hints of chocolate. Used by the greatest pastry chefs, it transcends the flavors of desserts.

Sambavanilla wants to respect its commitment and selects for you the best of vanilla beans. We are not telling you about the vanilla beans that you can find in supermarkets! But many fresh and not split vanilla beans, from the Sambava harvest (Madagascar).

You can find our selection of vanilla beans here.

How to recognize quality vanilla beans ?

For many people, a quality vanilla bean should be large, smooth, and full of juice.

Definitly not! Sambavanilla gives you the criteria to separate good vanilla beans from others.

• - Scent : A good vanilla bean immediately gives off a clear scent of vanilla
• - Flexibility : a good vanilla bean should not be rigid, but flexible and not brittle.
• - Appearance : there is an expression which says "the clothes do not make the monk" and in this case, a good bean should not be shiny. It is dark with streaks, uniform in color and free from blemishes.
• - Color : a quality vanilla bean is dark in color.
• - Size : the longer and thicker a vanilla bean, the better it is! This indicates, that it is rich in vanillin and seeds.

The best way to recognize good vanilla beans, however, is by tasting them.

Where can you get quality vanilla beans ?

Sambavanilla offers you quality vanilla beans

Sambavanilla is committed to propose you only the best in spices, vanilla and rum preparations. With our experience and our know-how, we are always in search of perfection and quality in the products we offer you.

Above all of our vanilla beans, we have established relationships of trust with producers chosen rigorously on the basis of their manufacturing method and the quality of their products. They cultivate the vanilla beans themselves. Some artisans have been working with Sambavanilla for several years now.