65 Odorata Vanilla givrée from Ecuador

Organic Vanilla Odorata crystallised
Origin: Ecuador
Harvest: 2025
Curing: Scalded and sun dried
Refining: +6 months
DDM: 31.12.2028
 
Another rare endemic Vanilla species from Mesoamerica, cultivated here in Ecuador. Also known as Vanilla Tlatepusco, Vanilla Odorata is native to southern Mexico, Central America, and tropical South America. Together with Vanilla planifolia, it is a parent of the vanilla species × Tahitensis that could be a spontaneous hybrid, with a later selfing or backcrossing with V. Planifolia, already in Polynesia, that gave origin to the variation in cultivars and genotypes present there.
 
This orchid was first described by Carl Borivoj Presl in 1826 with mentions that the fruits collected 36 years earlier were still fragrant! Seeing the amount of crystals growing it's indeed full of vanillin.
 
Vanilla Tlatepusco or Odorata pods tends to a sweet and complex aromatic profile, with caramel, honey, and biscuity notes - might have a high vanillin content as it started to crystallise since it reaches Switzerland (lower T° and humidity helping), and possess too other molecules that have not yet been analysed and deserves to be matured under optimum conditions to attest of its potentially aromatic qualities.  Some samples have hints of dried fruit, adding another layer of complexity to the aromatic profile. While preliminary research identified a complex sweet profile, its characteristics are highly influenced by both the curing method and the unique terroir where this vanilla grow.
 
Another rare species for Agroforestry Vanilla Farmers to follow...
 
* Vanillin crystals is the natural end expression of the benzenoid crystal that matures inside the pod. Within properly cured vanilla pods vanillin functions as an important conservative, and its content should be high enough before curing and refining in order to stimulate natural immune resistance to mold and create delicious dark fragrant vanilla smell and flavours.
 
Vanillin crystals are a natural concentrate and a sign of excellent quality of the vanilla pods. You can recognise them as they shine in the light and look like white spines or literally shiny sharp glass-like tiny “diamonds” of vanilla, such as the THC residue on excellent marijuana plants.
 
When vanilla pods have this high vanillin content they can be kept for years under excellent storage condition, in glass tubes or glass jars well protected from light. Crystalline beans also have an amazing and powerful smell and tend to dry out over time so the smell and flavor packs into the plant matter but does not diffuse aromatically through the air without interaction or extraction. The flavor literally soaks deep into the skin and seeds and retains inside the pod.
 
Beans measure +- 17cm for an average weight of 4g. A kilo is about 250 beans.
Moisture: +-30%
Vanillin: +-3%
Packaging: 2 pods or more in glass tubes or glass jars or in sachets
Ecuador origin certified