Vanilla is one of the richest flavors humans use these days, no wonder it’s popular in many sectors daily used even in industrial companies. We find it easily in the form of vanilla extract, whether in some chocolate chip cookies or other variations. This ingredient is also used in delicious ice cream and baking. However, as it is widely used in many different kinds of dishes, are vanilla beans expensive?
For your information, vanilla is known on the list as the second most expensive flavor in the world today. In comparison, saffron is in the first place. One of the most known reasons is that this spice originally could only be found in certain areas or regions in the world. This only can pollinate by labor helping in special ways, in this case by manually using hands. It is also assisted by its pollination by specific animals or insects. No wonder we can argue why vanilla beans are expensive. However, the vanilla beans we use every day are at a more affordable price since they are produced in the form of liquid from the vanilla beans soaked in water and alcohol. In some ways, the real vanilla pods can be more than $200 per pound. That is so expensive.
More Reasons For Why Are Vanilla Beans Expensive
As we know the cost of vanilla, we need to know why vanilla beans are expensive. In answering this question, we need to look back on how their cycle of living, how it grows, the process until harvesting time, their effect, and the market condition of their supply and demand.
In short, the reason for the highly vanilla cost is it’s fussy about growing. The vanilla vines need at least two to four years to be ready to harvest, and they can only bloom once a year. It needs to be pollinated at certain times. Most of the places of vanilla are grown are not the origin of the vanilla beans, so no more bugs or birds are helping the flower pollination. For example, in Madagascar, this region can produce at least 80% of the world’s production. While in Madagascar, the only way to pollinate is done by hand. After that, the pods must be kept several months after the harvesting. All the processes need the most time and labor caring intensively. The prices, however, always change depending on the rate of the vanilla market.
Let’s talk deeper now about the reasons for the expensive vanilla beans. Cultivating vanilla beans is not always easy since it seems so stressful, even in a volatile business field. This’s closely related to the high demand for vanilla itself. In some cases, the vanilla beans become the target of rob where the stolen beans can influence the supply chain of vanilla. The mixed stolen beach creates such confusion for the buyer choosing the high-quality ones. As prevention, the farmer takes the vanilla beans even when they are unripe. The ripe one is higher in price than the unripe.
We, as a farmer, takes the risk of extreme weather changing our crops. As in some regions, cyclones commonly happen, and the other climate changes sometimes increase their frequency. Storms are also a challenge in vanilla bean farming. We need to keep the supply ready all year to prevent vanilla beans shortage.
The Summary
We can potentially grow vanilla in some regions, but we should use the workers with the skill to know the proper steps to keep the vanilla beans. We offer the fit prices since we cultivate ourselves, measuring how to fertilize the vanilla’s flowers, control the plants, and do some ways to make sure the plant is growing well. These are all done for producing the number one quality vanilla beans. We always learn and practice the maturing processes to meet the market’s demands. It is time-consuming progress since it only blooms just several months at a time. We have done pollination at that time and other specific maturing steps, even drying and storing.
These are the reasons why vanilla beans are so expensive to get. Finally, as we find the info above, we produce high-quality vanilla beans with tender uneasy care and long processes. Thus we still offer it at the lowest price. Do you dare to taste it? Contact us now to get your best.