Vanilla beans originated in Mexico and are sun cured for months using the traditional Bourbon drying method. They are now found all over the world from places like Madagascar to Indonesia to Papa New Guinea PNG farms. Madagascar Vanilla Beans are the highest quality beans in the world and have an incredible flavor profile. The scent consists of a heavenly buttery aroma with a rich, black or dark brown color and a very oily outside surface. The interior of the bean is where the magic is at and consists of millions of black, tiny vanilla seeds that are waiting to be scraped out. These grade B vanilla beans are ~5 - 6 inches in length and are handpicked to ensure proper qualities. Our beans are traditionally cured to develop the full, complex vanilla flavor made of over 200 organic compounds and artificial vanilla (vanillin) cannot properly replicate the complexity of natural vanilla. The entire process takes anywhere from 6 to 9 months after pollination and our farmers in the SAVA region have turned vanilla processing and curing into an art. This region remains the industry quality benchmark for producing vanilla planifolia with high vanillin content. There are so many recipes that can be created with vanilla beans! Desserts such as vanilla bean ice cream, creme brulee, cup cakes, or cookies can be created with these magical beans. Homemade KAHLUA or Vanilla Extract is also a very popular gift & can be made using a simple vodka infusion method! Bonus points for using the spent vanilla beans after the extract making process for creating vanilla sugar! Our beans are triple inspected throughout their journey. First, they are inspected by our farmers who have hundreds of years of experience. The second inspection is before bulk storage for transport.