Craft
From flower to pod
Bourbon vanilla demands meticulous care, from pollination to shipping. Here are the nine steps of its preparation.
- Since 2015
- Approved by the Ministry of Commerce
- Registered with the FDA
Step by step
Nine steps, more than a year of patience
Every bean passes through our preparers’ hands, from the hand-pollinated flower to the refining trunk.
01
Pollination
The vanilla flower is naturally sterile. From mid-September to mid-December, each flower is pollinated by hand in the morning, between 6 and 11 a.m.
02
Harvest
After 7 to 9 months, the green pods begin to yellow. They are hand-picked according to ripeness.
03
Scalding
Within 48 hours of picking, the pods are immersed in 65 °C water for about 3 minutes.
04
Steaming
About 12 hours in large covered wooden boxes that slow the cooling. Green turns to brown.
05
Sun drying
3 to 5 hours of sun a day for a week, to begin developing the aroma.
06
Shade drying
About a month on racks in the shade, with regular sorting by moisture.
07
Sorting & grading
Moisture, length, colour, split or unsplit: each bean is graded, then bundled in 150–200 g bunches.
08
Curing
3 to 9 months in trunks lined with paraffin paper, under blankets, to develop the aroma and stabilise the pods.
09
Packaging
Cartons lined with paraffin paper, or vacuum-sealed on request, approved by the Ministry of Commerce.
Our story
A house born in the lands of Sambava
The story of Finest Vanilla began in 2015. In the field, alongside farmers, its founder learned the secrets of vanilla, with one commitment: to value the work of local people and raise Malagasy vanilla to international standards.
2015
Beginnings in Sambava
An economics background turned into a human adventure. In Farahalana, in the field, the founder learned alongside the farmers.
2018
Official approval
Approval from the Ministry of Commerce. Our beans travel to Europe, Asia and the United States, selected in Mananara Nord, Ambanja and Antalaha.
2022 – 2026
Bringing everything up to standard
Health and storage approval, registration with the FDA. USDA and AB (organic) certifications being finalised with the CCPB.
Contributing to the educational and economic development of the Malagasy population: $0.35 is donated for every kilo sold.
The collection
Taste the result
Grade A beans, powder, seeds and spices: our whole selection is prepared with this know-how.