Steenbergs Organic

Vanilla beans (organic) from Mananara

Mananara vanilla was featured in The Daily Telegraph magazine by Rose Prince - a true fan of this producer. Vanilla is one of the truly awesome spices. It has real history (not always good), a really complex flavour and there can be no substitute. Also, like all great things, it really is a case of letting these organic vanilla beans grow slowly in their own time; rushing the process and getting the vanilla beans cured too early just gives you a drab vanilla. Mananara was brought to our attention by Rose Prince, who has visited these organic vanilla farmers in the Mananara-North Biosphere, which is a Slow Food Presidia project, as well as being organic under EC and USDA NOP, and certified Fairtrade by FLO Max Havelaar (we are still getting our product certified by The Fairtrade Foundation). In the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Mananara-North in the extreme northeast of Madagascar, organic vanilla growers still use basic methods on small plots of 20 to 40 vines. The region can only be reached by car 3 - 4 months of the year, as the rainy season makes the road impassable. In Mananara, the organic vanilla blossoms are pollinated by hand using a fine stick or spine. After pollination, the flowers form seeds pods that look a bit like green beans. To cure the organic vanilla, these fresh green pods are blanched in hot water, then covered and kept in a warm location for 2 - 3 weeks. Afterwards, the pods turn soft and black, acquiring an intense aroma. The Mananaran producers wrap the blanched beans in woollen blankets, storing the packets on elevated floors in their houses to keep them warm and dry. During this period, the organic vanilla beans sweat extra moisture and enzymes in the pods free up the vanillin. During this curing and fermentation phase, the women of Mananara rub each organic vanilla bean daily with their fingers, cleaning them and rendering them supple and smooth. The result of this Slow Food process is a sultry, intensely rich aroma, creating a depth of organic vanilla flavours. Indulge yourself - almost too good to give away to anyone else! We are also working on getting some packaging in place with Fairtrade so we can market them as a Fairtrade soon.

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