Our vanilla pods come from family farmers in Madagascar. After harvest, it takes three months to obtain shiny, black-brown vanilla beans. During this time, the pods are washed at high temperature, fermented for six weeks and then dried for two months – all by hand, all locally.
Use & preparation
Don't throw the pods away once you've used the seeds. Place them in a jar and cover in sugar to make your own vanilla sugar.
Use vanilla in your baking, like in these almond muffins.
Storage & shelf life
When properly stored, vanilla can keep for several years – usually even after the best-before date. Store the vanilla in a cool, dry place away from light. Use a tightly sealed container to protect the pods from outside odours.
This year, we're reintroducing vanilla from Madagascar to our range. The sharp increase in prices for this highly valued spice has made it difficult for us. But we have a local partner who shares our vision.
Some consider vanilla to be the queen of spices – and they may be right. But what many people don't know is that her court is rife with fraud, corruption and violence. Not only that, but it's a spice that's tricky to grow.
Vanilla is prized, popular and the livelihood of many producers in the Global South. In northeast Madagascar, more than 1,000 families grow organic vanilla near the Mananara-Masoala Biosphere Reserve.
The cashew nut is a versatile ingredient that shines in the kitchen in any situation. You just have to know how to best bring out its unique qualities. Here’s a guide to getting the most out of cashews.
Christmas cookies with a twist! Try these vegan cookies made from dates, almonds and the ancient millet variety fonio. Recipe by Sandra & Alex, www.mein-kraeuterkeller.de
The delicious sweet vanilla fonio is somewhat reminiscent of porridge and is suitable as breakfast, a snack, or a light dinner. The recipe comes from our gebana colleague Martin, who brought it from his homeland Benin.
Mangoes from starter to dessert! Inés Lauber from Studio Inés Lauber has created a menu for us that uses both our fresh and dried mangoes. All recipes are vegan.
These pickled pears are perfect for processing larger quantities of pears or apples. Cinnamon, star anise and vanilla give them a unique aroma.Recipe by Sarah-Vanessa, Velvet & Vinegar
Our real oranges play the leading role in this five-course menu - from the orange-quinoa salad to the orange chocolate mousse. All recipes were provided to us by Inés Lauber from Studio Inés Lauber.
These muffins are wonderfully moist – partly because of the pureed orange that's in the batter. Give them a try! Recipe by Sophia Schillik, cucinapiccina