Australian vanilla beans...

[aprilmei]

I've been looking to purchase a bulk quantity (500 grams) of vanilla beans and came across this website, www.vanillaplantations.com. They have Australian-grown Tahitian and Bourbon vanilla beans "A Grade" for US$119.95 including DHL delivery anywhere in the world. It says on the website that 500 grams will mean approximately 200 beans. All the other sites I've checked are much more expensive and they also estimate that 500 grams contain about 120 beans. I e-mailed Vanilla Plantations with a few questions, including wondering if their beans were perhaps smaller than what the other companies were offering (which isn't a problem) or if they were more dried out (which could be). They replied only saying that if I ordered 500 grams, they guarantee I would receive 200 "A Grade" beans.

The price is tempting but once before I bought some inexpensive vanilla beans that were like completely dessicated twigs - they weren't worth the low price I paid. Has anybody out there ever tried vanilla beans from Australia? Until I found this site, I wasn't even aware they grew them there. Also, I tried looking up the grading of vanilla beans but could only find that grading differs from country to country - there's no standard. Does anybody know what A Grade means when referring to Australian grown vanilla beans (it's not necessarily the best, if they're graded like eggs - AA, A or B).

Thanks in advance.

[aidensnd2]

Interesting. I lived there for some time and was never aware that vanilla was grown locally...

[aprilmei]

Update: placed an order last week with www.vanillaplantations.com. They had a choice of beans grown in Madagascar (US$135.95/500 grams) or Australian-grown bourbon vanilla or Tahitian beans (both at $119.95/500 grams). I ordered the ones grown in Madagascar because that is what I am familiar with, but also asked for a single-bean sample of the Australian bourbon vanilla. Received the order today - the price includes free DHL shipping to anywhere in the world.

The beans are very fragrant - I could smell them through three layers of packaging. They're thinner and shorter (about 6 inches) than other types I've seen (like the Tahitian types) but have a wonderful smell - very intense. Instead of sending the single-bean sample of Australian bourbon-vanilla, they sent at least a dozen, which was generous.

I'm going to split this order of beans with a friend who also bakes a lot and we'll do comparisons of both types of bourbon vanilla beans.

This is a good service with reasonable prices. They also sell vanilla orchid cuttings which would be pretty cool if you have a green thumb and live in an area where orchids grow well.

[Tepee]

Wow, Aprilmei, that's a lotta beans! Thanks for the heads-up. This ignoramus hasn't used a vanilla bean before. Gosh, even if I ordered the minimum amount, I think it'll take me forever to finish using them. But, I think I'll bite the bullet and order them one of these days.

Edited March 24, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[aprilmei]

Yes, I went slightly overboard and ordered a lot - it will take me quite a bit of time to use up this amount. But they're so hard to find in Hong Kong and the price is OUTRAGEOUS - the one shop that sells them charges HK$188 (that's more than US$24) for two beans.

[Pan]

That's outrageous!

Why do you suppose vanilla beans are so expensive there?

[JustKay]

That's outrageous!

Why do you suppose vanilla beans are so expensive there?

How about not getting them at all? All the shop peeps here whom I asked looked at me like I'm .

[Shalmanese]

I wager it's so expensive in HK because Vanilla isn't used in asian cooking so the only people who would buy them are rich expats/locals who want to show off.

It's funny, doing a google on Australian grown vanilla and I only get that plantation site. No press release from the farm, no govt news pamphlet. Usually, when trying to souce local ingredients (Australian truffles, Australian Wagyu, Australian cheeses etc.), I can get at least a few clues from google.

[aprilmei]

I wager it's so expensive in HK because Vanilla isn't used in asian cooking so the only people who would buy them are rich expats/locals who want to show off.

It's funny, doing a google on Australian grown vanilla and I only get that plantation site. No press release from the farm, no govt news pamphlet. Usually, when trying to souce local ingredients (Australian truffles, Australian Wagyu, Australian cheeses etc.), I can get at least a few clues from google.

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I'm not actually trying to "show off", nor am I rich - that's why I didn't buy them at US$24 for two. I'm a trained pastry chef, now working in a different field but still trying to maintain the same standards in my home baking that I've always had.

[andiesenji]

Yes, I went slightly overboard and ordered a lot - it will take me quite a bit of time to use up this amount. But they're so hard to find in Hong Kong and the price is OUTRAGEOUS - the one shop that sells them charges HK$188 (that's more than US$24) for two beans.

←

You could probably discretely resell them.........

[CaliPoutine]

I bought a quarter pound of beans from www.saffron.com and I paid 26us, shipping included. The price has now dropped down to 24.75. I started a thread a few months back and a few ppl ordered them and we happy. I thought they were a little on the small side and not that moist.

I always say " you get what you pay for". I shoulda listened. I dont use vanilla that often so they are ok for my needs. If I was using them at work, Id probably want a little better quality.