Taha’a, known as “Vanilla island”

Discover the vanilla from Taha'a

The ‘crème de la crème’ of vanilla

The black gold of French Polynesia

The vanilla from Taha’a is reputed throughout the world for its exceptional appetising aromas. A visit to “Vanilla island” is a chance to discover this black gold, which is so highly esteemed by the world’s greatest chefs.

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Tahitian vanilla is a variety called Vanilla tahitensis. It is a climbing orchid and is a hybrid species of two different varieties of vanilla.

‘Marrying’ the vanilla

The aromatic scent of vanilla rises up from the valley close to the village of Faaaha in Taha’a. Here you can visit some of the small local growers who will be pleased to show you how they obtain this delicious, epicurean spice. Depending on the season, you can see the vanilla flowers growing on the vine, or the long thin beans which result from their pollination. The pollination itself is a painstaking task which is known, with typical French romanticism, as ‘marrying’ the vanilla.

In Mexico, where vanilla originated, the flowers are pollinated by Melipona bees. However, these bees are only found in Mexico, so elsewhere, this meticulous operation has to be performed by hand. And as each flower only blooms for one day, ‘marrying’ the vanilla is a matter of both dexterity and rapidity. Thereafter, it takes about nine months for the vanilla bean to grow. Once harvested, the beans are laid out to dry in the sun for an additional two to four months. But as you will discover, all this time and effort go to produce one of the very best vanilla beans in the world.