Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Pods

Malagasy Excellence: Our Bourbon Vanilla Pods

Dive into the heart of the SAVA region with our selection of Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla pods (Vanilla Planifolia variety). Cured with the strictest respect for tradition, our pods guarantee exceptional aromatic power and generous caviar, with no compromise on quality.

What is Madagascar Bourbon vanilla?

"Bourbon" refers to the geographic origin: the Indian Ocean islands (Madagascar, Réunion, the Comoros) where Vanilla planifolia has been grown since the 19th century. Madagascar today produces about 80% of the world's vanilla, and the SAVA region (Sambava, Antalaha, Vohémar, Andapa) is its historic heart. It's a vanilla with a round, warm, cocoa-like profile, very different from Tahitian vanilla (floral, aniseed) — we detail these differences in our Madagascar / Tahiti / Uganda comparison.

Gourmet, Grand Cru XXL or TK: which pod should you choose?

Gourmet Grand Cru Vanilla (15-17 cm) — the most versatile: plump, oily pod (33-38% moisture), rich in caviar. The default choice for fine pastry, creams and infusions.
Gourmet Grand Cru XXL Vanilla (+17 cm) — same quality, extraordinary size: 1 XXL pod ≈ 2 standard pods. For desserts where the pod is showcased and to optimize yield.
Premium TK Vanilla (+16 cm) — the most concentrated (vanillin > 2%), drier and more raw. Built for flavored rum, ice cream and high-heat cooking.

For a specific use, follow our guide: which vanilla pod to choose for high-end pastry. Looking to save time? Try our vanilla caviar (pure, ready-to-use seeds) or our 100% pure pod vanilla powder.

Storage, dosage and price

Properly stored (airtight container, away from light), our pods stay oily and fragrant for 24 months: see how to store Madagascar vanilla. A Grand Cru pod flavors 6 to 8 servings; an XXL pod, 10 to 12. For pricing per kilo and its variations, read the price of Madagascar vanilla per kilo.

Buy direct from SAVA

Comptoir Manitra is a direct importer: our pods go from the SAVA grower to your workshop, with no middleman. The result: full traceability, consistent quality batch after batch, and a fair price for artisans, restaurateurs and labs. Need regular volumes? Contact us for a professional offer.

Qu'est-ce que la vanille Bourbon de Madagascar ?

« Bourbon » désigne l'origine géographique : les îles de l'océan Indien (Madagascar, La Réunion, les Comores) où la Vanilla planifolia est cultivée depuis le XIX^e siècle. Madagascar en produit aujourd'hui environ 80 % de la vanille mondiale, et la région de la SAVA (Sambava, Antalaha, Vohémar, Andapa) en est le cœur historique. C'est une vanille au profil rond, chaud et cacaoté, très différente de la vanille de Tahiti (florale, anisée) — nous détaillons ces écarts dans notre comparatif Madagascar / Tahiti / Ouganda.

Gourmet, Grand Cru XXL ou TK : quelle gousse choisir ?

Vanille Gourmet Grand Cru (15-17 cm) — la plus polyvalente : gousse charnue et grasse (33-38 % d'humidité), riche en caviar. Le choix par défaut pour la pâtisserie fine, les crèmes et les infusions.
Vanille Gourmet Grand Cru XXL (+17 cm) — même qualité, calibre hors-norme : 1 gousse XXL ≈ 2 gousses standard. Pour les desserts où la gousse est mise en valeur et pour optimiser le rendement.
Vanille Premium TK (+16 cm) — la plus concentrée (vanilline > 2 %), plus sèche et brute. Taillée pour le rhum arrangé, la glacerie et les cuissons fortes.

Pour un usage précis, suivez notre guide : quelle gousse de vanille choisir pour la pâtisserie haut de gamme. Vous cherchez à gagner du temps ? Optez pour notre caviar de vanille (grains purs prêts à l'emploi) ou notre poudre de vanille 100 % pure gousse.

Conservation, dosage et prix

Bien conservées (contenant hermétique, à l'abri de la lumière), nos gousses restent grasses et parfumées 24 mois : voir comment conserver la vanille de Madagascar. Une gousse Grand Cru parfume 6 à 8 portions ; une gousse XXL, 10 à 12. Sur la question du tarif au kilo et de ses variations, lisez le prix de la vanille de Madagascar au kilo.

Acheter en direct de la SAVA

Comptoir Manitra est importateur direct : nos gousses passent du planteur de la SAVA à votre atelier, sans intermédiaire. Résultat : une traçabilité totale, une qualité constante lot après lot, et un prix juste pour les artisans, restaurateurs et laboratoires. Besoin de volumes réguliers ? Contactez-nous pour une offre professionnelle.

🔎 QUELLE GOUSSE CHOISIR ?

La Gourmet Grand Cru (Classique ou XXL) : La gousse charnue par excellence. Très humide (33-38%), grasse et souple. Parfaite pour les entremets, crèmes anglaises et préparations à froid.
La TK Premium : La bombe aromatique. Plus affinée et moins humide (25-28%), sa concentration en vanilline est extrême. C'est le choix numéro 1 pour les rhums arrangés et les cuissons longues.

The Heritage and Craftsmanship of Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla

The "Bourbon" designation is the ultimate mark of excellence in the world of spices, reserved for the famous Vanilla Planifolia orchid of the Indian Ocean.

Our mission is to reconnect you with the true taste of this legendary spice. Far from exhausted or dried-out vanilla, we import, via a short supply chain, pods of incomparable freshness directly from the rich SAVA lands of Madagascar.

After hand-pollination and traditional Malagasy curing (scalding, sweating and slow sun-drying), our selection reveals a unique aromatic profile: warm, cocoa-like notes with hints of candied fruit.

Whether you're after the extreme suppleness of our Gourmet quality for fine pastry-making or the raw power of our Premium grade, we guarantee a natural spice with a magnificent deep black sheen and generously packed with caviar.

Choosing and using your Bourbon vanilla pods

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, from the Vanilla Planifolia botanical variety, is the gold standard in gastronomy. Unlike other origins, which can be floral or woody, Malagasy Planifolia develops a very high natural vanillin content. It offers a round, deep fragrance with intense notes of warm cocoa and caramel, ideal for classic pastry-making.

The Gourmet grade (or Grand Cru) is the finest quality available. It guarantees an extremely plump, glossy, unsplit pod with a high moisture content (33% to 38%). This moisture keeps the pod supple, making it easy to open and ensuring a far greater quantity of black seeds (caviar) than a standard pod, which is often too dry.

To extract all the flavour, start by gently flattening the pod with the back of your knife. Then split it lengthways with the tip of the blade. Open the two halves and use the back of the blade to scrape out the inside and collect the precious black seeds. Don't forget to also infuse the empty pod itself, which still holds a wealth of flavour!

Bourbon vanilla pods don't go off. Properly stored, they retain their aromatic power for 12 to 18 months. Vanilla's number one enemy is air and fluctuations in temperature.

Always store your pods in a glass tube or perfectly airtight jar, sized appropriately to limit air exposure. Keep this container in a cupboard, away from light and humidity, at room temperature between 15°C and 20°C. Never store them in the fridge, as the cold dulls the aromas and dries out the spice.