What is so special about Madagascar vanilla?

Vanilla’s leading flavor is due to the presence of vanillin, an organic compound that delivers those signature sweet, warm, and creamy flavors. Madagascar vanilla has higher concentrations of vanillin than beans from other countries, another reason why Madagascar vanilla beans are so richly flavored.

How did vanilla get to Madagascar?

French colonists first brought vanilla to Madagascar’s neighbouring island of Réunion in the early 19th Century. It grows as a clinging vine, reaching lengths of up to 300ft (90m). The vines grow well outside Mexico – but no fruit, in the form of vanilla beans, was produced.

When was vanilla introduced to Madagascar?

It took a young slave boy called Edmond Albius, working on a plantation in the French colony of Réunion, to discover a method for hand-pollinating vanilla flowers in the 1840s. His technique quickly spread to nearby Madagascar, where French administrators encouraged its cultivation.

Why is Madagascar called vanilla?

Around 1793, a vanilla vine was smuggled from Mexico to the Réunion island. Combined with the hot, humid climate and rich soil, hand pollination by the country’s skilled and patient farmers has enabled Madagascar to become the world’s top vanilla producer in both quantity and quality.

Why is Madagascar vanilla so expensive?

Why is vanilla extract so expensive? Over 80% of the world’s vanilla is grown on the island of Madagascar, which has been recently hit with terrible weather. Failed crop yields have caused the prices of vanilla beans to soar to nearly $600 per kilogram, which is 10 times more expensive than it was a few years ago.

Does Madagascar smell like vanilla?

I love this photo! This vanilla expert in Antalaha, Madagascar is of course smelling vanilla—and also checking the valuable crop for mold, a real danger in the humid tropics of the Indian Ocean. If vanilla is so expensive, why isn’t it stolen?

Where is the best vanilla from?

Madagascar
Bourbon vanilla beans are the most popular type of vanilla, resulting from their clear and creamy flavor and the fact that Madagascar is the world’s top producer of vanilla. These vanilla beans are the thinnest of the four types and also have the most flavor.

Why is Mexican vanilla bad?

Nov. 1 — FRIDAY, Oct. 31 (HealthDay News) — So-called Mexican “vanilla” is often made with a toxic substance called coumarin and shouldn’t be bought by consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned this week. Coumarin is related to warfarin, which is found in some blood thinners.

Why is Mexican vanilla cheaper?

Artificial vanilla extract is affordable, and is the vanilla extract predominantly sold in countries that produce vanilla beans. That’s why in Mexico, even though the country grows very fine beans, artificial vanillas dominate the market.

Why does vanilla smell good?

#1: Vanilla resurrects memories of food. This is mostly due to the fact that smelling it reminds boys of food and instantly makes them feel excited. The soft, musky aromas are also said to rate highly with the fellas as it’s warm and comforting.

What’s the history of vanilla beans in Madagascar?

Because vanilla has always been so valuable, it has a long history of robbery and intrigue. In Madagascar, vanilla rustling has been a major problem when the price for vanilla is at a cyclic high. Growers brand the individual beans with pins or a knife when they are green and the marks remain after the beans are dried.

Where does vanilla come from in the world?

Vanilla, at least the vanilla we eat, is not native to Madagascar; it originated some 10,000 miles away. Madagascar is also a chaotic place to do business, as an article in The Economist ’s 1843 Magazine showed in 2019.

How did vanilla become popular in the West Indies?

Europeans found many more uses for vanilla, most notably combining it with another colonial product, sugar from the new sugarcane plantations in the West Indies, to make vanilla desserts that became popular among those who could afford them, which was really only the very rich and powerful.

What kind of certification does authentic vanilla have?

Founded in 2005, Authentic Products is specialized in natural vanilla from its cultivation to its distribution. Authentic Products sells over 10% of the worldwide production, a part is organic and/or fairtrade certified (Ecocert: Certifications for the European Union and NOP for the USA, FLO CERT ID 19373 fair trade certification).