Organic Madagascar vanilla beans

To add flavor to your recipes, count on one organic Madagascar vanilla pod per kilo of preparation. Madagascar vanilla beans can transfer their aromas to your recipes through infusion (particularly in fats such as cream, milk or butter) or maceration. These beans can then be reused several times. To do so, wash them and grind them into vanilla powder. You can also dry them and store them in your sugar jar or in a bottle of alcohol for scenting! Finally, consider grinding your dried beans into powder to sprinkle on toppings or incorporate into dry pasta dishes.

Here are a few tips for preserving the aromas of your organic Madagascar vanilla beans… First of all, your beans must remain supple and shiny. Ideally, they should be stored in a vacuum. Failing that, store your beans in a glass tube, for example. Opt for a small tube, too. By limiting contact with the air, you’ll prevent your vanilla beans from drying out. Screw the tube lid on tightly and opt for a metal lid. Cork stoppers, on the other hand, are to be avoided as they are not hermetic.

Planifolia is the vanilla variety grown on the island of Madagascar. Only a long process produces quality beans. Vanilla plants are contained to make them accessible to growers, facilitating both harvesting and pollination. The growers then induce the vanilla plants to flower by stressing them with light and water. This is achieved by cutting the plant’s shade in the middle of a drought. This stress triggers a phenomenon that leads to beautiful flowering three months later. However, vanilla flowers only open one morning a year, between September and December. They are then hand-pollinated. Using traditional methods, the male and female organs of the flower are brought into contact with a thorn. Nine months after this technical gesture, the bean formed at the base of the flower is ripe. You can tell by its color, which turns slightly yellow at the tip.

A quality Madagascar vanilla bean requires patience! In particular, we refine the precious beans harvested according to ancestral methods. The first step is to scald the beans. The fruit is immersed in water at 70°C for a few minutes. This step causes the pods to stop growing. The pods are then steamed. This involves leaving them to sweat in a padded box for 2 days to develop the vanillin. The Madagascar vanilla beans are then dried in alternating sun and shade for 1 to 2 months. Finally, they are matured for 4 to 5 months in padded wooden trunks to develop their secondary aromas. They are then measured and classified by size and quality, before being packaged and shipped.
The preparation of a Madagascar vanilla pod is a lengthy process. The process involves a number of stages that can only be carried out by hand, and which require real expertise. All the more reason to appreciate these little black beans hidden in the fragrant envelope that is the pod.

Madagascar black vanilla is also known as gourmet vanilla. These are fleshy, supple, shiny black Madagascar vanilla beans with a moisture content of between 32 and 38%. NOROHY, for example, only selects beans between 16 and 23 cm. This size can only be achieved by pollinating just a few flowers per branch. In this way, the beans have a high nutrient intake, enabling them to develop well and obtain a higher vanillin content. Ripe beans will eventually split, giving rise to split black vanilla. These beans are particularly prized for their high vanillin content, due to over-ripeness.

Red vanilla is also known as extraction-grade vanilla. These beans are less heterogeneous and less intense in color. Their lower moisture content is between 20 and 27%. These Madagascar vanilla beans are used to manufacture vanilla-derived products such as vanilla extract. They can also be ground to obtain vanilla powder or vanilla bean paste.

NOROHY Madagascar vanilla beans are certified ORGANIC. The brand selects and encourages producers who respect organic farming criteria. Thus, the entire chain is certified by this label, from planting to storage.
This BIO certification guarantees that no synthetic chemical products are used: no pesticides, no GMOs. In addition, this certification ensures optimum traceability of our vanilla beans. In fact, we have restricted our sourcing to the Maroantsetra and Mananara regions, in the north-east of Madagascar.

NOROHY is committed not only to biodiversity, but also to local populations. In 2023, the brand co-financed a bridge in the Morafeno region of Madagascar to facilitate the free and safe movement of people. This infrastructure helps to open up the region. NOROHY has also forged strong links with vanilla growers and processors through partnerships based on trust, to ensure fairer remuneration for those involved in the industry. Find out more about our actions and commitments HERE (link)!