Tahitian Vanilla Beans
These top-quality Tahitian Vanilla Beans come from Papua New Guinea. They are an indispensible, all-natural flavoring agent, used primarily in baking and pastry applications and imparting pure, unadulterated vanilla flavor and aroma to cakes, custards, sauces and more.
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Suggested uses
Basic prep
Cut bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the dark, pulpy seeds inside and add to recipe.
Storage & handling
Store in a dry, cool place.
Ingredients
Vanilla beans.
These top-quality vanilla beans, grown from Tahitian seed (Vanilla tahitiensis), come from Papua New Guinea. They are the soft, resinous, richly flavorful black seed pods of the Tahitian Vanilla orchid, a hybrid species of climbing orchid that has its origins in two species from the tropical rainforests of Central America. When Spanish explorers arrived in Central America, the Mayans were already using vanilla as a flavoring agent for their royal chocolate drinks. Through Spanish trading ships, these beans eventually found their way to several other tropical regions, including the Bourbon Islands east of Africa, as well as French Polynesia and Papua New Guinea, where they were cultivated using a hand pollination technique.
Vanilla became very popular in Europe after Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez brought it back from the Americas. It was initially considered a luxury for nobility and the very rich, but as the hand pollination technique was adopted, vanilla beans grew less scarce and relatively more accessible. However, today they are still the second most expensive spice in the world, after saffron, prized in both the culinary and perfuming industries for their rich, mouthwatering fragrance.
Vanilla beans are green when harvested, and become black due to the lengthy fermentation process, but they remain soft and flexible. The seeds inside the pods are covered in a slightly sticky, resinous substance. To extract the seeds, the pods must first be split open and then scraped.
Tahitian Vanilla Beans differ from Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans in numerous ways, making each variety better suited to different applications. The Tahitian Vanilla Bean is fatter and softer, with flavors of chocolate and cherry and floral undertones. Its vanillin compounds are more fragile than those of the Madagascar bean, and don't stand up as well to heat, making it a better choice for cold applications, such as sauces, ice creams and dressings, which won't mute its subtle flavors.
It is estimated that 95% of the vanilla products in the world are made with imitation vanilla, rather than the superior natural vanilla extract. Try substituting these all-natural Tahitian Vanilla Beans in your favorite recipe, and you'll immediately notice the difference.
Vanilla has been used for various medicinal and aromatherapeutic purposes, from treating intestinal gas and fever to promoting relaxation and increasing sexual desire. In Indian ayurvedic medicine, vanilla is thought to help alleviate toothache. Vanilla is also often used as a flavoring in syrups used for making medications.
Classic recipe
Vanilla Beurre Blanc
In a unique twist to the usual application of vanilla, this recipe demonstrates how complex vanilla can change all other ingredients. Fragrant Tahitian vanilla seed simmering with savory shallots, wine and vinegar creates an impeccable butter sauce perfect to pair with seafood or vegetables.
