In baking, beverages, and in perfumes, vanilla is a staple ingredient. Although common across most cultures and cuisines, vanilla is one of the most expensive spices in the world and is sought after by chefs and home bakers throughout Los Angeles.
Vanilla beans or pods are harvested from the Vanilla planifolia orchid. In Tahiti, the largest producer of Tahitian vanilla beans is the small island of Taha’a. This island is only 21 square miles, but it produces over 80% of all vanilla beans in the country.
These plants produce flowers from July through September each year. A single plant produces several blooming flowers every day. These flowers are pollinated by hand, and this must be done within the few hours the flowers remain open before they die. Vanilla flowers that are pollinated will develop vanilla beans, which are also carefully harvested by hand once they are mature.
The vanilla beans are harvested when mature, ripe, and green. They are then cured in the sun for up to nine months to produce the distinctive rich, dark color of Tahitian vanilla beans in Los Angeles.
The Difference in Tahitian Vanilla
Vanilla grown in different regions has a unique flavor profile. Vanilla beans grown in Tahiti are larger and thicker than in many areas, resulting in more seeds per pod. In addition, these beans provide a floral, rich, delicate flavor that offers notes of caramel, licorice, and even chocolate and cherry.
This fruitier flavor makes this vanilla a favorite for Los Angeles bakers and pastry chefs. It is the premium vanilla used in making sweet sauces, puddings, custards, pastry cream, cakes, and other desserts.
