There’s Nothing Plain About Vanilla
Vanilla is an Old World flavoring and aromatic that is highly favored in cooking, coffee, candles, and cosmetics. But few people know exactly what vanilla is, how it is cultivated, and why it has become the second most expensive spice in the world. That is what visitors to the Hawaiian Vanilla Company were about to discover during a luncheon and tour on Monday, September 9, 2024. The company is in Paauilo on the Hilo-Hamuka Heritage Coast of the Big Island, approximately 40 miles from Hilo.
As the 30 guests arrived, they were welcomed and seated for part one of the package experience: a gourmet lunch, featuring vanilla-infused drinks, marinades, sauces, dressings, and chutneys.
Newlyweds Cory and Jodi Stone of Anacortes, Wash. were especially eager to dive in. “We’re here on our week-long honeymoon, this is our second day on the island, we arrived last night. Someone told us about the tour. It was almost booked out, we got the last two openings!” said Jodi.
Following the lunch was part two: a short hike down to the farm for a Vanilla 101 lesson in history, cultivation, harvesting, applications and marketing.
Vanilla is actually an orchid that originated in Mexico. It was discovered by Europeans around the 1500’s. Thanks to its unique ability to yield fragrant, multi-use bean pods, the plant found itself at the center of several conflicts, the first of which involved the French raiding the crops in Mexico. Over time these harsh forays into delicate vanilla territories led to the decimation of its natural pollinators. The end result is that vanilla is now 100% reliant on humans for pollination and propagation. And it is only grown in a specific region in the world, in a handful of countries with Madagascar being the major producer and global exporter of pure vanilla.
The Hawaiian Vanilla Company was founded in 1998 by the Reddekopps, a family of hobby farmers who expanded their operation to capitalize on a niche agricultural marketing opportunity. Like vanilla itself, the company has made an indelible mark in history: it is the first commercial vanilla farm in the United States.
From farm to table, vanilla production is a complex, tedious, labor-intensive operation that comprises four main phases: (1) planting and pollination; (2) harvesting; (3) curing; (4) conditioning. It also requires patience as it takes three years for a vanilla plant to fully mature; it only blooms for one day and must be pollinated on that same day.
Bottom line, if you love pure vanilla, you not only have exquisite taste, you also have expensive taste. How expensive? “Vanilla is one of the most expensive agricultural products in the world, often reaching or exceeding the price of silver based on quality,” said Bryce Hackney, Hawaii Vanilla Company operations manager and tour guide.
But the global market price of pure vanilla is volatile, attributable to a multitude of factors. According to agricultural and food economic researchers, “The VNL (vanilla) crop is cultivated in a specific region of the sub-Saharan constituency, fraught with environmental, political, economic and security issues. The USA is the biggest importer of vanilla, primarily due to the significantly big ice cream industry that it hosts.” Khan, K., Su, CW., Khurshid, A. et al. Are there bubbles in the vanilla price?. Agric Econ 10, 6 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-022-00213-y.
The third and final part of the experience was the sweetest: a return to the company base for a dessert offering of vanilla bean ice cream from a local creamery and Hawaiian coffee. Guests also perused the store where vanilla-based foods and products are available for purchase, including the ingredients used in the earlier-prepared lunch.
To learn more about vanilla or to book a tour with the Hawaiian Vanilla Company, visit https://hawaiianvanilla.com/
Karen Alman is faculty and chair of the communication studies department at a small community college in Washington state. When she is not teaching, she is hiking, gardening, and producing works of art. Originally from the Caribbean, her love of culture and travel has taken her to Hawaii and Mexico several times, and to countries in Europe and Asia where she has found experiences to rave and write about.
