Vanilla Beans Veracruz +14cm L

Vanilla from Mexico: discover the original vanilla

Evoking vanilla from Mexico deserves a little look back at the history of the product. Today, when people talk to you about vanilla, you immediately think of Bourbon vanilla produced in the Indian Ocean or Tahitian vanilla. Admittedly, we are talking about great vintages and their subtle aromas are worth looking at. The vanilla from Mexico is much less well known.

And yet! Mexico is the land of origin of vanilla. It was the Totonaques (the Aztecs came later), an Amerindian people, who cultivated this magnificent product in the states of Vera Cruz and Puebla in particular. In the 16th century, their colonizers, the Spaniards, discovered vanilla and decided to export it to other colonies. The first tests were a failure until a young Reunionese slave, Edmond Albius, discovered the principle of pollination of vanilla. It was then that Mexican vanilla was forgotten in favour of vanilla from Madagascar, Tahiti or Reunion Island.

Mexican vanilla is a rare product. But anyone who has had the chance to taste it knows what an exceptional product they are holding in their hands. The great chefs are not mistaken and some of them swear by it.

Simply exceptional vanilla

If you're a vanilla lover, you'll soon understand why Mexican vanilla is so delicious. It has fine black beans, much less fleshy than those from Madagascar. But make no mistake, this does not diminish its seductive power on your palate.
You can recognize powerful and subtle notes at the same time. One perceives this delicate chocolatey and spicy aroma with hints of red fruits. Its aromatic palette is so vast that it has enough to make its competitors pale in comparison

Vanilla cultivation: from orchid to bean

The orchid is a beautiful flower that we like to admire at home. Did you know that it is one of its varieties that produces vanilla? This ornamental plant, when pollinated, forms fruit: the vanilla pods.

Here's how to fertilize vanilla:

- take the tip of the flower and cut out the corolla with a small needle.
- lift and straighten the pistil, which is the female organ.
- tilt the stamen, the male organ, towards the pistil. The flower is fertilized.

Pollination is a manual process that requires great care and vigilance. Indeed, the flower wilts after one day. Obtaining vanilla from Mexico is well deserved. In Mexico, the principle of pollination was originally unknown. However, an endemic bee came, itself, to do man's work. That's why the Mexicans were able to enjoy an incredible vanilla before us. As soon as the orchid flower is pollinated, we have to wait a long time (about 9 months) for the pod to become big enough and ripe enough.

We then have to pick it and carry out several steps:

- scalding
- steaming
- drying
- packing
- grading

From planting to harvesting, the cultivation of Mexican vanilla is a real work of patience and delicacy, that's what justifies the price of this exceptional product.

Mexican vanilla in your recipes

Would you like to discover the subtle aromas of Mexican vanilla? Just split its bean and remove its beautiful black beans. You can also infuse the split bean. With this subtly flavoured vanilla, you will revolutionize your cooking.

Forget about vanillin or vanilla flavouring, vanilla sugar and other powdered vanilla. Buying vanilla beans from Mexico will let you discover the true flavours of this product.

Here are some ideas for using your vanilla:

- custard
- various creams (crème brûlée, etc.)
- vanilla ice cream
- vanilla coffee by enclosing the beans in an airtight pot with your coffee
- arranged rum
- vanilla fleur de sel

Good to know: vanilla has an interesting sweetening power to exploit. Limit the sugar and replace it with vanilla, your deserts will be lighter and much tastier