Grown on Taha’a and Raiatea in French Polynesia by a single family grower, and brought to you with no middlemen and no blending. This is genuine Polynesian Vanilla tahitensis, the rarest and most aromatic vanilla we know. For a classic, creamy vanilla to bake with every day, see our Madagascar vanilla pods.
An island that smells of vanilla
Taha’a is a small volcanic island in the South Pacific. It shares a lagoon with neighbouring Raiatea and can only be reached by boat. Their plantations produce most of French Polynesia’s vanilla, and the air is so heavy with the scent that locals call Taha’a the Vanilla Island.
Our beans come from a family grower on Taha’a and Raiatea. Every flower is pollinated by hand, because nothing else will do the job. The pods then spend around nine months on the vine before they are picked at peak ripeness. Months of slow, patient curing follow in the island sun, and that curing is what turns a green pod into something extraordinary.
We buy direct from the grower. That means we know where every bean comes from, who grew it and how it was cured, and it means more of what you pay goes back to the people doing the work.
A flavour unlike any other vanilla
Tahitian vanilla is not a stronger version of the vanilla you know. It is a different species with a completely different character.
- Aroma
- floral and perfumed, with notes of cherry, aniseed, ripe banana and stone fruit
- Palate
- rounded and fruity, with less of the deep, creamy sweetness of bourbon vanilla
- Beans
- long, plump, supple and glossy, packed with seeds and naturally oily
That signature floral, almost cherry-liqueur note comes from a compound called heliotropin. It is far more abundant in Tahitian vanilla than in any other variety.
Not all “Tahitian” vanilla is from Tahiti
The tahitensis vine is now grown in several countries around the world, and much of what is sold as “Tahitian vanilla” never came near French Polynesia. Those beans are often softer and flatter in flavour.
Ours is grown on Taha’a and Raiatea, the heartland of the variety. It is single origin and fully traceable from the vine to your kitchen.
How to use it
Tahitian vanilla’s floral notes are delicate and can fade under long, high heat. Its aroma comes through best where it can shine:
- Crème anglaise, crème pâtissière, panna cotta and ice cream
- Chantilly, mousses, ganache and glazes
- Fruit desserts, especially stone fruit, tropical fruit and berries
- Infusions, syrups, cocktails and finishing sauces, including with seafood
Chef’s tip Infuse gently at low heat or add towards the end of cooking. After use, rinse and dry the scraped pods and bury them in sugar. They will perfume it for weeks.
The details
- Origin
- Taha’a and Raiatea, French Polynesia
- Variety
- Vanilla tahitensis
- Sourcing
- direct from a single family grower
- Format
- whole pods, from 1 pod online; 250g for trade
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Traceability
How to tell real Tahitian vanilla
“Tahitian” is often used for any Vanilla tahitensis, wherever it was grown. Ours comes from one family grower on Taha’a and Raiatea in French Polynesia, and we label our other tahitensis vanillas by their true origin: Papua New Guinea and Ecuador.
- Real Tahitian pods are plump, glossy and very oily, with a floral, fruity perfume rather than the creamy sweetness of Madagascar vanilla.
- Ask the seller for the island and the grower. We can name both.
- Every pack is repacked in our SALSA-audited London unit and can be traced back to the shipment it came from.
- Each product has a written specification covering origin, moisture and vanillin, and confirming the vanilla has not been treated to change its natural vanillin content.