Organic Vanilla Bourbon Madagascar
Organic Vanilla Bourbon Madagascar
Vanilla fragrans
Agro-alimentary Organic product certified by ECOCERT SAS F-32 600
NOP certified by ECOCERT SAS F-32 600
1) Product description
Organic Vanilla from Madagascar grows on a limber vine that climbs up a tree or on any appropriate support.
PHAEL FLOR EXPORT is harvesting vanilla in partnership with experimented small farmers in Antalaha, Sambava and Mananara, the oriental regions of the island which beneficiate from a humid and favorable climate.
Flowering occurs around the months of September-October, forming little bunch of eight or ten flowers which are hand-pollinated by growers according to a very specific method. The vanilla flower lasts about one day, sometimes less and growers have to inspect their plantations every morning for open flowers, a very labor-intensive task.
The pods appear after a month and have a dark green color. It grows and matures around June; a pale yellow discoloration which commences at the distal end of the beans is an indication of the maturity of pods. When harvested, the pods are still odorless and each individual pod is carefully picked by hand and cured in a way to develop the finest fragrance and flavor from every bean. The staff is trained in quality control techniques and nurture and harvest the products to ensure that nature’s blooms come as close to perfection as nature intended.
The preparation of organic vanilla is done according to a long and strict protocol.
Harvesting lasts 5 months and ends up in October or November: once the bean has developed its finest flavor with a vanillin content of 2.5% or more and once the expected color is obtained.
The beans are therefore sorted by length and quality and are carefully stocked in order not to spoil the aroma which continues to develop.
All those operations are conducted with the assistance of the company which provides all the necessary equipments.
2) Products available for sale
Organic vanilla pods are graded based on a number of characteristics such as length, blemishes on the pod, suppleness of the pod (moisture content), Vanillin content etc.
Vanilla grade normally go by alphabets such as A,B,C and grinding grade.
Various qualities are available :
Grade A : top quality
– Black vanilla, ripe split or non-split*, over 15 cm in length and can sometimes reach 20 cm long.
Grade B
– TK vanilla, slightly red, split or non-split*, over 15 cm in length.
Grade C
– Red Vanilla, split or non-split*, over 15 cm in length
Grade D
– Vanilla with a length that varies from 11 to 13 cm. Vanilla fragrans
Grade E
-“Cuts” vanilla, smaller due to the fact damaged parts have been removed.
Vanilla Oleoresin : The Company owns a production unit of vanilla extracts.
Theses extracts are vanilla oleoresin which quality is determined by the customer.
Products are sold either under the quality label BIO/NOP or in conventional quality.
*split vanilla means vanilla beans which are partially split lengthwise from the blossom end as they ripen.
3) Quality of Organic Vanilla
The cost of the vanilla depends on its quality.
Despite the competition of the other tropical countries such as Indonesia, and the emergence of new markets such as India or Africa, Madagascar remains the world’s largest producer and exporter.
Indeed, Madagascar produces more than 50% of the vanilla of the world and Malagasy vanilla is still the reference in terms of quality and price.
4) Products available for sale
Vanilla is mostly used as a flavor in foods and beverages (powder, beans, extract) or as extract in perfumery and cosmetics.