Tahitian vanilla
Last update: 04/03/2024
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It’s been over a year since we left Polynesia, and a year since I’ve had the chance to interview Loïc from Tahiti Vanille. While we were on the island of Raiatea, and especially during our entire stay at Raiatea Lodge (a miracle, by the way), we were able to meet Loïc by the pool and ask him all the questions we had about Tahitian vanilla.
It was only after meeting Alain Abel on the island of Raiatea that I had the opportunity to do this interview, and I’d like to thank him very much! So, without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about vanilla! Admittedly, the article is a bit of a ramble at times, but I’m sure you’ll learn a lot about vanilla thanks to all this information!
Thanks also to Loïc for some of the photos in this article! The others I took when I visited Tahiti Vanille in Raiatea.
What is vanilla?
Vanilla is a vine-like orchid that lives in a tropical environment. It is considered to be a hemiepiphyte, which simply means that it needs support for its development, but cannot be considered a parasite. It will not kill its support, but will use it to develop and grow.
The vanilla history
Vanilla comes from Central America, specifically Mexico (Mexican vanilla). Initially, the Aztecs used vanilla to flavor their food (it was more gourmet). With the arrival of the colonists, vanilla plant was discovered. They brought it back to Europe and tried to cultivate it. Unfortunately, the first attempts were unsuccessful, but there was no precise reason for this failure of vanilla production. Later, it was discovered that vanilla could be pollinated naturally (homemade vanilla) thanks to a bee that only lives in Central America, in Mexico.
Meanwhile, France tried to cultivate vanilla almost everywhere, without success. It wasn’t until 1841 that a young black slave named Edmond, from the island of Réunion, invented artificial pollination at the age of 12.
It was then that vanilla cultivation began, particularly in the Indian Ocean and especially on the island of Réunion. It was not until 1880 that vanilla cultivation really took off on the islands of Réunion and Madagascar. It is said that it was farmers from Réunion who brought vanilla to Madagascar.
All vanillas grown in the Indian Ocean are mainly of the ‘Vanilla planifolia’ or ‘Vanilla Scented’ variety. This is the original/classic vanilla. Today, it is the most sold vanilla in the world, also known as “Bourbon vanilla”, grown in the countries of the Indian Ocean. This label was created to certify that the vanilla was grown in the Indian Ocean and not elsewhere. For your information, vanilla is only grown in countries with tropical and humid climates.
The arrival of vanilla in Polynesia
As far as the history of vanilla in Tahiti is concerned, it was introduced in 1848. A French admiral imported vanilla plants of the species Vanilla Fragrans (Planifolia). Two years later, another French admiral imported Vanilla Aromatica plants. The two vanilla species were crossed to produce Tahitian vanilla, Vanilla Tahitensis.
The vanilla process
Vanilla is a plant, more specifically an orchid. It is a liana with alternate, flat, entire, oval leaves with pointed tips. Each leaf produces a bud which becomes a fruit. It is these buds that will then turn into flowers that have to be pollinated by hand using Edmond’s method.
Manual pollination
The vanilla flower has both male and female reproductive organs: it is a hermaphrodite plant. The female reproductive organ is at the bottom and the male at the top. Between the two of them there is a kind of small leaf that covers the female reproductive organ, which is called the rostellum. It is this leaf that prevents the flower from self-pollinating. To pollinate this flower, use your left thumb and first lower the pistil. These are small petals that cover the female reproductive organ. This manipulation frees the female reproductive organ. Then, with your right hand, use a small pin to pull up and lift the rostellum. Finally, with the right thumb, lightly tap the stamens that are in contact with the ovary.
In short, the manipulation consists of bringing the two organs together to achieve fertilization. During manual pollination, the stylet is simply used to remove any ‘obstructions’. After fertilization, the flower becomes a fruit. This develops over a period of nine months to produce a mature vanilla pod.
A single orchid may have several flowers. Each vanilla flower that is pollinated (by hand or by a bee in Mexico) will produce a pod. If you pollinate many flowers, the vanilla plant will have to share its nutrients between several flowers, which will slow down its growth. The pods can also get in each other’s way and prevent some from forming properly if too many flowers are pollinated on the same bunch. This is why the farmer sometimes deliberately does not pollinate all the flowers on the same bunch, so as not to interfere with the formation of the other pods. The result is vanilla pods of very high quality.
Period of fertilisation
Vanilla formation
In Polynesia, the pollination period is between July and September. April to March are the coldest months, allowing the flowers to form on the vanilla (orchid) plant. Vanilla is harvested locally between June and July. It is rare for a vanilla plant to have only one flower. There are several leaves on the same vine, with a cluster of flowers in each axle. The lifespan of a vine is 10-12 years. Eventually it will stop producing as many pods as before, but the quality will also decline.
The question is, are there vanilla seeds? Yes, vanilla has quite a few seeds, but it is impossible to grow the fruit with them. The reason for this is that the vanilla plant is asexual. It can only reproduce by taking cuttings from branches about 15 to 18 cm long. For a new vanilla plant, you’ll have to wait 2 to 3 years for flowers to appear.
Vanilla is green at first. It then turns yellow and finally black. Once it is yellow, it is considered fully ripe. It can then be picked and will eventually turn black. In Polynesia they are picked when the vanilla is green/yellow. The farmers wait for 9 months and when it turns yellow, they pick it.
Harvesting and drying vanilla
First of all, a few words about Tahitian vanilla. Alain ABEL and his team have known and processed Tahitian vanilla for over 20 years. Over the years, Tahiti Vanille has developed a close relationship of trust with the vanilla producers of the Leeward Islands (Tahaa, Raiatea, Huahine and Bora Bora). Tahiti Vanille takes care of the processing/preparation of the vanilla beans, the famous drying stage. Tahiti Vanille can be considered as a vanilla processor and exporter, selling mainly in France and locally. They are located on the island of Raiatea, at PK29 East. The sweet, strong scent of vanilla is sure to entice tourists to stop by and watch the drying and sorting process (preferably around 10am) during the harvest season. It is also possible to buy a range of products on the spot, including vanilla beans, powder and pastes.
But let’s get back to the harvest. It’s important to understand that growing vanilla and preparing it (processing and drying) are two complex and different stages. Very few people actually do both. You might think that the quality of vanilla from farmers is the same, but the quality of vanilla from processors (i.e. different processors) can be very different at the end of the drying process. It’s this stage that makes all the difference!
Tahiti Vanille buys its vanilla beans when they are fully ripe (yellow or black). The vanilla is then rinsed with clean water and placed in cotton sheets (faraoti in Tahitian), which are then spread out on a tarp under the tropical Polynesian sun. The aim of this drying stage is to make the vanilla sweat in the sun so that it loses its water. The cotton sheets are useful for absorbing the moisture. The vanilla is then stirred and spread out in the sun for 3/4 of an hour. The sheets are then knotted with the vanilla and placed in trays until the next day. Drying time depends on the vanilla bean, but it is estimated that it must dry in the sun about thirty times, or about 1 month (weather permitting). When the vanilla is sold, the farmers pre-calibrate it as follows: pods over 16 cm and the others. Drying generally takes place from August to November.
As the vanilla loses water, it tends to wrinkle and lose weight. This is an important stage as the drying process activates the chemical reactions of the vanilla and develops its aromas. However, it’s important to find the right balance between not drying the vanilla too much, which could reduce its quality, and not letting it lose too much water, which could cause mold to form.
Vanilla sorting and grading
After drying, the vanilla beans are sorted. Not all vanilla beans are the same size and some may be more or less well dried. The Tahiti Vanille team therefore sorts each pod individually to assess its quality. They also massage the pod to ensure that the vanilla beans are evenly distributed.
Then comes the grading stage, where the vanilla bean is measured with a ruler. The measurement starts at 12 cm, then centimeter by centimeter. This stage is mainly for aesthetic reasons, to ensure that the vanilla pods are uniform in size. The recipes of great chefs may call for 3 pods of 15 cm each. So it’s important to get the sizing right. The size determines the aesthetic appeal and the weight determines the price.
Finally, there is the ripening phase, during which the vanilla beans are stored in a dry place. As with wine, this allows the vanilla to develop its aroma. This stage can last 3 to 4 months in a cellar.
To sum up, from the moment a flower is pollinated, you have to wait 9 months to pick it, then 1 or 2 months to dry it and another 3 or 4 months to ripen it. It often takes more than a year of patience and preparation to get a vanilla pod ready for the market.
How to use vanilla?
A little gastronomic advice. We can distinguish between vanilla paste, vanilla powder and vanilla extract. The paste is simply what’s inside the pod (all the beans). It is the part with the highest concentration of vanilla flavor. Vanilla powder has slightly less flavor than the paste because it is made from whole, dried and ground vanilla beans. Using vanilla paste can save up to 30% over fresh vanilla.
The best way to use it is to split the pod in half lengthways with the tip of a knife, then scrape out the seeds and add them to your dish. To store the pods, place them in a glass jar with sugar or rum and place in the back of a cupboard away from light and moisture.
Storage
For unused vanilla, I recommend storing it in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid so that it doesn’t come into contact with air or moisture, and out of direct sunlight to keep its flavors and its aromas. If stored correctly, vanilla will not spoil. If it is stored poorly, it may develop mold. In this case it is not necessarily lost, but it has lost some of its flavor and aromas…
The reputation of Tahitian vanilla
The Tahitian vanilla production process is different from that of Madagascar vanilla. The latter is the most sold in the world. It is called “vanilla planifolia”. It is a species that, when ripe, opens up and releases its seeds. It is a dehiscent fruit. The vanilla is picked locally before it is ripe (i.e. green). It is then heated in boiling water at 70/90° to stop the ripening process, which tends to denature the vanilla.
In Tahiti, vanilla Tahitensis is unique in that it does not open when ripe. It is therefore not dehiscent (a different species). This is important because the beans remain on the vanilla plant for 3 months and it’s mainly at the end of this ripening period that the aromas develop. Tahitian vanilla is larger, fatter and fuller than Madagascan vanilla and generally has a different aromatic bouquet. It is simply a fruit that has reached maturity.
How to recognise good vanilla?
You can recognise good vanilla when it’s well wrinkled, plump and shiny. If you can tie a knot in the vanilla pod, it’s good.
Why is Tahitian vanilla so expensive?
Vanilla called “black gold”, it is said to be the second most expensive spice in the world after saffron. As we have seen, the production and preparation of Tahitian vanilla is a very complex and difficult process.
To explain, the price of vanilla has risen in recent years. Prior to the year 2000, the big companies preferred to buy synthetic vanilla (produced in laboratories) because it was cheaper. This left producers with cheap vanilla that was no longer profitable. Many people stopped growing vanilla for this reason.
Around 2010, the consumer trend became more organic and natural. Demand increased, but the supply was no longer there as many farmers had abandoned their plantations.
At the same time, there was a series of cyclones in Madagascar, which unfortunately had a devastating effect on the vanilla plantations. As a result, local production fell, which had a major impact on the vanilla market, as Madagascar accounts for 80% of the world’s production.
That’s the end of my interview with Loïc from Tahiti Vanille. I hope you’ve learnt a few things on the production and preservation of vanilla aromas and flavours and enjoyed this article! If you’d like to know more, I invite you to read our articles on French Polynesia.
See you soon,
Sylvain
Written by Sylvain PONS
From 2015 to 2021, French Polynesia was our home, with Mélanie and our children. I'm happy to share my experience and advice to help you organize an unforgettable stay in French Polynesia, based on my in-depth knowledge of the territory.
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