How to Buy Vanilla

Species, Grades, Sizes & Recommended Use

• The Quick Buying Guide - How to make a quick buying decision.
• The Detailed Buying Guide - learn all about buying vanilla.
• Bourbon or Tahitian - The Difference?
• The Grade
• The Length
• Your Budget
• Other Things to Consider
• The Look
• The Color / Moisture Content
• Other Designations

Quick Guide to Buying Vanilla

Make your buying decision by considering these 4 choices to come up with exact type of bean to buy:

• Bourbon or Tahitian Variety?
• Grade A or Grade B beans?
• The Length of the beans?
• Your Budget?

The tendency is to profile vanilla from certain countries – Madagascar, Tahiti, Mexico, PNG etc. as these all have different aromas and flavors. Because we offer both species and various grades and lengths we are one of the few sources able to provide beans suitable for just about any purpose. When it comes to budget, we believe that our vanilla is unquestionably the VERY BEST VALUE!! This is because of our unique vertical operation – from the farm to you. Just like selecting a wine, buying vanilla should be a matter of personal choice!!

The Detailed Buying Guide

1. The variety that you select should be entirely a matter of personal choice depending on the intended use and the ingredients used in the determined process. The table on the right lists some common uses of vanilla and the variety recommended.
   
   
2. Our experience has determined that a blend of both varieties often provides the best results. This may involve some experimenting, whether using beans directly in a recipe, or making an extract, essence, paste, custard or the like. We recommend varying the percentage of each variety until you find the right profile.
   
   
3. Bourbon beans are less plump than the Tahitian variety. Both varieties have over two hundred natural organic compounds that contribute to their unique flavor profile. Tahitian beans provide a stronger aroma with a greater complexity in their notes, while Bourbon beans share some of these major notes but are less complex providing the classic vanilla flavor.
   
   
4. The followings are profiles of each variety:
   • Bourbon vanilla comes from the fruit of an orchid variety called Vanilla planifolia. Its main component is called vanillin (about 2.3% in our beans), followed by 4-hydroxybenzaldyde and vanillin-2,3-butanediol-acetal. (They sound like nasty chemicals, but they are all healthy naturally occurring organic compounds!) Bourbon has a creamy, sweet, smooth and mellow flavor with a long finish but with a subdued nose. Use Bourbon for applications requiring a classic lingering vanilla accent.
     
     
   • Tahitian Vanilla comes from the fruit of an orchid variety called Vanilla tahitensis and its main natural organic compounds are p-anisyl alcohol and vanillin (about 1.34% in our beans). Other noticeable components are p-anisyl formate, methyl p-anisate and, p-anisyl acetate. Tahitian beans are more delicate than Bourbon with a stronger nose - they are flowery, fruity and anisic with a smooth flavor. Gourmet and pastry chefs love to work with the Tahitian variety, as they crave its instant flavor burst without the lingering finish.
     
     
5. Tasting Notes:
   These notes may vary slightly with the specific growing area, curing process and other factors.
   • - Bourbon: Butter, licorice, green peas, citrus, antiseptic cream, milk chocolate, brown fruit, vanillin
     - Tahitian: Butter, licorice, citrus, fruity, chocolate, nutty, toffee, vanillin
     
     
6. Making Extract? – Make extract, essence, paste or custard using beans reflecting the above needs – consider using a blend, such as 70% Bourbon - 30% Tahitian or vice versa. Experiment to find the right blend and share your success stories by posting the results on our Recipes page.

The Grade

We grade beans into three categories:
Grade A – Whole, clean pods – void of dents, splits, tears or marks. Good color – chocolate brown to black. These are also sometimes called ‘Whole’ beans.
Grade B – May have minor dents, splits, tears or marks. Good color – chocolate brown to black. May be a Grade A quality, but are classified Grade B if ‘smalls’. They may be slightly dryer than Grade A, but not in all cases. Buy these if esthetics is not important.
Grade C – May have major dents, splits, tears or marks – the color may range from light brown to black and they may have less moisture. Grade C beans are only recommended for industrial use and making bi-products, such as candles, soap etc. We stock these in very limited quantities.

The Length

Size does matter. Professional users should lean toward longer beans. Budget buyers should favor shorter beans. The conventional wisdom is the longer the bean the superior its quality. Although longer beans contain a larger percentage of caviar, shorter beans can be of a similar quality and flavor. It is therefore this larger percentage of caviar in a bean that justifies the higher price for longer beans.

Your Budget

• Tahitian beans are less expensive than Bourbon – but having the right species for the job must determine this decision making
• Grade B cost less than Grade A beans
• The shorter the bean the lower the cost
• Buy Grade B or shorter beans when esthetics are not important
• For bi-products, consider Grade B. For soap, shampoo, candles etc, consider Grade B or C. You may not need to spend a lot of money for the majority of your needs.

Other Things to Identify a Good Bean

The Look

It is also important to recognize a nice looking bean beyond just its Color and Grade. Look for a pod that contains as many seeds as possible. We call these vanilla seeds caviar and we use the caviar to make vanilla custard extract, essence, paste and other vanilla based products. Caviar gives the bean its flavor, so look for an oily plump bean with a thin skin and not too much moisture content (see Gourmet vs. Extract in the Color section below). However, the bean should be moist, as opposed to hard or brittle. A good test is to tie a knot in the bean. This should be done with ease, without breaking or splitting. When scraping the caviar from the inside of the pod, the seeds should come off the skin easily, with no mush residue being evident. You may often see tiny white crystals on the inside or outside of the bean. These are the highly desirable flavor enhancing crystals. Avoid mold, which will look different – sometimes resembling tiny white fluffy hairs.

The Color / Moisture Content

A particular color of bean does not necessarily mean that it is better quality than a bean of another color. However, it may determine for what purpose you use the beans. During the curing process the moisture content of the beans can be controlled. The resultant color is generally indicative of this moisture content. Cured vanilla beans range in color from a deep red to brown to black. Chocolate brown beans are preferred by extractors and black beans by gourmet chefs. Most of our Grade A beans are dark brown or black and can be used for most purposes. We recommend any color from chocolate brown to black, unless you are using beans for bi- products such as soap, candles etc, where inexpensive lighter brown beans (Grade C) may work.
Chocolate Brown vanilla has moisture content of 18 – 25% and is referred to as Extract vanilla.
Black vanilla has moisture content of 25 – 35% and is referred to a Gourmet Vanilla.

Other Designations

“Whole” beans are vanilla beans with no surface alteration, generally void of marks, dents, splits and tears. This is generally the type of bean supplied by The Organic Vanilla Bean Company™ designated as Grade A.
"Split" beans are riper vanilla beans that have remained longer on the vine. Makers of vanilla extract often prefer these beans. We sometimes carry these beans.
“Cuts” are an unripe bean of lesser quality, usually picked earlier than desired. We seldom offer this type of bean.