Vanilla

The queen of spices. There is hardly anything finer than holding a plump, supple vanilla pod in your hand and breathing it in. That aroma. Floral, sweet, creamy, caramel, warm. A spectrum that surprises you every single time. Vanilla can do so much more than dessert. In braises, with fish, in sauces or dressings it unfolds a depth that lifts everything to another level. Once you have cooked with truly good vanilla, you never want to go without.

Buy vanilla: four origins, two species, zero compromises

Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world, right after saffron. And as with saffron, the difference between good and bad stock is enormous. Most supermarket vanilla is industrially processed, harvested too early, dried too quickly. What you get is a weak aroma and a high price for little substance. With me it’s different. I work with a specialised vanilla importer and source pods in premium quality only, every batch tested in the lab for vanillin content and moisture.

Two species, four origins

In the range you’ll find two different vanilla species: Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla tahitensis. These aren’t just marketing terms, but botanically different plants with fundamentally different aroma profiles.

Vanilla planifolia is the classic vanilla most people know. Warm, creamy, sweet, with a high vanillin content. I carry it from two origins: the Madagascar Bourbon Premium vanilla pods are the epitome of vanilla. The classic for crème brûlée, ice cream, panna cotta, baking. Plump and packed with seeds, supple, intensely aromatic. Alongside them the Uganda Premium vanilla pods, an insider tip among connoisseurs. Uganda produces planifolia vanilla with a slightly different profile: stronger, faintly chocolatey, with a dark depth Madagascar doesn’t have. If you only know Bourbon, you really should try Uganda.

Vanilla tahitensis is the rarer, more complex sister. Less vanillin, but a rich spectrum of floral, fruity and aniseed-like notes. More floral, more exotic, more elegant. Two origins here as well: the Indonesia Tahitensis Premium vanilla pods offer a good way into the world of tahitensis. Floral, fruity, with a light aniseed note, at a sensible price. The French Polynesia Tahitensis ‘The Queen’ vanilla pods are the best there is. Real Tahiti vanilla from the French South Sea islands, an absolute rarity you practically won’t find anywhere in Swiss retail. A fragrance that recalls tropical flowers, ripe fruit and aniseed. In Michelin-starred kitchens it’s the first choice for anything where vanilla should take centre stage.

Vanilla powder

You don’t always need a whole pod. For everyday use or when it has to be quick, there are two vanilla powders: the Madagascar Bourbon Premium vanilla powder brings the classic Bourbon aroma in ground form. Pure vanilla, finely ground, no sugar, no carriers. Straight into the dough, the cream, the smoothie. The Tahitensis Premium vanilla powder is the same idea, but with the floral, fruity profile of the tahitensis. If you want to taste the difference between planifolia and tahitensis without cutting open two pods: try these two powders side by side.

Tonka bean

The tonka bean isn’t vanilla, but it belongs to the same aroma world. Notes of vanilla, marzipan, bitter almond and caramel. In patisserie it’s an alternative or complement to vanilla that gives desserts an extra dimension. Finely grated over crème brûlée, in chocolate, in panna cotta, in compote. Dose sparingly, because the tonka bean is extremely intense.

Quality and transparency

You don’t recognise good vanilla by the price, but by measurable values. I have every batch tested for vanillin content and moisture, because these two values say the most about quality. The vanillin content determines the aroma intensity; the moisture shows whether the pod was properly matured and stored. Pods that are too dry have little aroma, pods that are too moist go mouldy. Premium vanilla pods have a moisture content between 25 and 35 per cent and are supple, glossy and full of seeds. That’s exactly what I supply.

Vanilla isn’t just for desserts

That’s the biggest misconception in the kitchen. Vanilla can do savoury. In a beurre blanc with fish, in a sauce for scallops, in a mashed potato, in a marinade for chicken. In Middle Eastern cooking, vanilla has been paired with meat for centuries. Once you’ve tried it, you understand why. Vanilla brings depth, warmth and roundness without making the dish sweet.

Where to start?

If you’ve only known vanilla as supermarket stock so far, start with the Madagascar Bourbon vanilla pods. That’s the reference point you measure everything else against. If you already know good Bourbon vanilla and want something new, try the Uganda vanilla pods or step into the world of tahitensis vanilla with the Indonesia Tahitensis. The French Polynesia ‘The Queen’ is for anyone who wants the best and knows what to do with it. And for everyday use, the two vanilla powders are the pragmatic solution: pure vanilla, always to hand, no cutting open and scraping out.

All lab-tested, no additives, processed by hand in Heiden.

How do I recognise a high-quality vanilla pod?

A good pod is supple, pliable and has a light oily sheen. It mustn’t snap woodily. If you bend it between your fingers and it feels soft, the moisture is right. Premium pods like our Madagascar Bourbon Premium vanilla pods or the French Polynesia Tahitensis ‘The Queen’ vanilla pods are plump and packed with seeds and have a moisture content between 25 and 35 per cent. Besides pliability, length is decisive: at 16 to 20 cm, our premium pods are top class, which makes them especially productive. Sometimes white crystals form on the surface. That isn’t mould, but crystallised vanillin, a sign of a particularly high aroma concentration.

What's the difference between vanilla powder, vanilla sugar and vanilla extract?

Our Madagascar Bourbon Premium vanilla powder and the Tahitensis Premium vanilla powder are 100% ground vanilla pods. Because our powder is made from the whole fruit, you get the full spectrum of vanilla’s over 400 aroma compounds, which are often lost in an extract. No sugar, no alcohol, no carrier. Highly concentrated: a knife-tip often replaces half a pod. Vanilla sugar from the supermarket is almost entirely sugar with a minimal vanilla content. Vanilla extract contains alcohol as a solvent. If you want pure vanilla aroma, take powder or whole pods.

How do I store vanilla pods properly so they don't dry out?

Never in the fridge, that’s where the pod goes hard and can go mouldy. Best in an airtight glass tube or a metal tin, in a cool, dark place. Room temperature is perfect. Avoid leaving the pods lying loose: oxygen is the enemy of vanilla aroma. Our packaging is designed precisely to preserve the aroma. If a pod does go a bit dry: lay it briefly in warm milk or warm water, that makes it supple again. The Madagascar Bourbon Premium vanilla powder or the Tahitensis Premium vanilla powder is more straightforward: dry, protected from light, well sealed, done.

Can you still use a scraped-out vanilla pod?

Absolutely. The pod itself holds almost as much aroma as the seeds. Put the scraped-out pods in a jar of sugar and let them steep for two weeks: your own vanilla sugar, better than anything from the shop. It works just as well with salt, which gives a fine finishing salt for fish or vegetables. Or steep the pods in rum for your own vanilla extract. They also give off plenty when cooked in milk, cream or syrup. Throwing away vanilla at these prices would be a waste.

Why are there such big price differences with vanilla?

It comes down to species and origin. Madagascar Bourbon Premium vanilla pods are Vanilla planifolia: the classic, warm, creamy, high vanillin content. Uganda Premium vanilla pods are the same species, but with a slightly different profile, stronger and faintly chocolatey. Then there’s Vanilla tahitensis: less vanillin, but floral, fruity, with aniseed notes. The Indonesia Tahitensis Premium vanilla pods are a good start, the French Polynesia Tahitensis ‘The Queen’ vanilla pods the rarest and most expensive vanilla in the world, from the French South Sea islands. Every single blossom is pollinated by hand, an effort that makes this ‘queen of spices’ so precious. Like with wine: different soils, different climate, different aromas.