Bordier spotlights Madagascar Bourbon vanilla

Bordier's Madagascar vanilla butter is already one of the new classics among the company's original products. On its website, the company tells us a few more details about this magical ingredient, from the Planifolia variety, renowned for its rich aromas and complex notes of dried fruit, rum and raisins.

‘The exceptional quality of Bourbon vanilla is based on a traditional, artisanal process that takes 18 months to complete, from the flowering of the orchids to the export of the pods,’ says Bordier, which then details the various stages of the process:

• Flowering (September to November): ‘The vanilla flowers bloom, marking the start of the production cycle’
• Pod ripening (9 months): ‘The pods ripen slowly on the vines, absorbing the rich aromas of their environment’.
• Harvesting (November to May): ‘The vanilla pods, still green, are harvested manually to ensure the highest quality selection’.
• Scalding: ‘The pods are briefly immersed in hot water to stop the ripening process and begin the release of aromas’.
• Steaming: ‘The pods are placed in wooden crates to sweat, a crucial process for the development of their fragrance’.
• Drying: ‘The pods are first dried in the sun, then in the shade, to perfect their texture and aromas’.
• Refining and grading: ‘Finally, the pods are refined and sorted according to size and quality before being packed for export.
  
  

To (re)discover the entire range of Bordier butters, click here.