Tahitian vanilla

Tahitian vanilla has plumper pods and a floral, aniseed aroma – prized by the world’s finest pastry chefs.

Tahitian vanilla is a climbing orchid with fleshy leaves and green stems that clambers up supports in partial shade. Genetic studies have shown that it is a hybrid of Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla odorata, most likely formed in cultivation. Every flower is pollinated by hand, and after harvest the green fruits are fermented and sun-dried for several months. The finished pods are thicker and fleshier than Madagascar vanilla, with less vanillin and more compounds with floral and aniseed notes.

Significance in the country

Vanilla was brought to Tahiti in 1848 by Admiral Ferdinand Hamelin, and today it is one of the country’s flagship exports. Taha’a, the island that produces the largest share of the harvest, is known as the “vanilla island”.

Where it grows

Above all in the Leeward Islands – Taha’a, Raiatea and Huahine; smaller plantations are on Tahiti and Moorea.

More: Wikipedia (en)