Perfumes of the islands

History

The history of vanilla in the Loyalty Islands is closely linked to the arrival of the gospel on the islands in 1842. Vanilla was introduced to the Loyalties in 1860, first in Maré and then in Lifou, by Pastor Samuel MacFarlane and his wife.

In Lifou, vanilla was welcomed by the Ahmelewedr clan in Mou in the south of the island. The Api Kai clan was one of the clans most determined to develop this sector going so far as to export, which seemed difficult to envisage at that time. Growers developed several varieties themselves and also created several processing techniques themselves. Thus, the first association of vanilla producers, created in 1994 was called Ahmelewedr Bio.

Vanilla production in the Loyalty Islands has grown particularly strongly over the past 20 years. Indeed, until recently this sector brought together only a few enthusiasts. Today, there are more than 150 planters, mostly on the island of Lifou (only planters having over a hundred plants are included in this figure).

Cultivation

The vanilla bean is the fruit of an orchid (Vanilla Planifolia). Of the 20,000 existing orchid varieties, vanilla is the only one to produce an edible fruit. It is a climbing liana that needs support as well as shade. In the wild, it usually grows on trees in tropical rainforests. In traditional plantations, it is Indian pine nuts, or wafel in the Drehu language (the language of the island of Lifou) that are used as supports.

Vanilla produces clusters of waxy green-yellow flowers. Flowering occurs only once a year for each vine, with the flowering season running from August to December.

Each blooming flower remains open for only a few hours. Pollination – known as the "marriage" – is done by hand, one flower after another and very early in the morning because the flower does not withstand the first heat of the day. This process of fertilization by the hand of man was taught to the Loyaltians by Pastor MacFarlane. Only a few flowers are married on each bunch, so as not to take too much energy from the plant, which would weaken it and expose it to disease.

The harvest takes place six to nine months later around June, or July when the pods have taken on a yellowish hue called "canary tail".

Drying

Fresh pods are devoid of taste and aroma. They must undergo a long and meticulous treatment which, is carried out according to the rules of the art, this releases into the pod the maximum of vanillin, with its characteristic fragrance. It is the difficulty and duration of this treatment, as well as the manual fertilization, that makes vanilla one of the most expensive spices in the world!

Once harvested the pods are immersed in a water bath at 65° C for three minutes and then steamed in padded boxes. The traditional drying process then consists of spreading the pods in the sun on blankets for "mortification" (stopping the biological life of the pod) for one to two weeks, then in the shade for a month where they acquire their beautiful chocolate hue.

The vanilla will then be kept in crates for four months of maturation to develop its full aroma.

After these operations, the pods are sorted by size and category. The most beautiful, classified "Category A" (pods with a length greater than 15 cm and without blemishes or defects) by a selection committee will be sold commercially in airtight bags (domestic vanilla). Vanilla beans of secondary quality (categories B and C) will be used to make by-products: powder, extract, jams, vanilla sugar, or as a rum additive etc.

The house of vanilla

The province of the Loyalty Islands opened the Vanilla House in 2011 to meet the producers’ need for equipment, monitoring of plantations and processing process and marketing of the finished product. The sector is run by different groups: the islands province, the Arbofruits association and the Maison de la Vanille, a subsidiary of SODIL (Société de développement des îles Loyauté). Vanilla from the Loyalty Islands is a registered trademark, and several farms are certified by the Biocalédonia Association and conform to NOAB standards.

On the three islands, the still green pods are bought by Arbofruit and then transported to the Vanilla House in Hnathalo (Lifou) to be ripened, processed, and packaged in the best conditions of hygiene and quality.

Island vanilla is of very good quality and is distinguished by its long and refined pods of brown colour and the very high vanillin level appreciated in the world of specialists.
In the markets, natural vanilla is to be found close to synthetic vanilla, sold under the name of vanillin, it is cheaper but is derived from clove oil, sugar or ... paper pulp. For example, three types of ice cream are called vanilla: that called "vanilla" is made from pure vanilla extract or pods, the one labelled "vanilla flavour" contains up to 42% artificial flavour, and finally, the one labelled "artificial flavour" contains only synthetic vanilla. However, gourmets will agree that nothing replaces the taste of real vanilla.

The next time you eat natural vanilla ice cream (you will notice the presence of tiny black grains), think about the long history and all the work behind producing one of the most beautiful spices there is and treat yourself!