In Search Of Black Gold In Madagascar

The “Caviar” of Spices

If you think vanilla is that peculiar caramel-colored liquid you see on supermarket shelves, think again. The real vanilla is the “Caviar” of spices, also known as “Black Gold.” The most popular aroma in the world comes from this unusual spice and it is the second most expensive in the world, after saffron. I have just returned from a culinary journey in Madagascar on the hunt for the elusive vanilla pod. To see the astonishing landscape of Madagascar from an eight seater plane, to trek into the vanilla jungle plantations surrounded by the most beautiful scenery, to smell the sweet aroma and scents of vanilla and to visit the vanilla factories to see first hand the skill involved in producing vanilla, was an eye opening experience rarely seen by Westerners.

Vanilla comes from the beans of the vanilla orchid and vanilla production originated in 12th-century Mexico. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés introduced vanilla to Europe in the early 16th century and from there it gradually spread to other parts of the world, including Madagascar. Only once you see the process for real, can you understand the reason it’s a pricey $250 a kilo. A small crew of us joined the award-winning Belgian pâtissier/chocolatier Pierre Marcolini who thought he knew all there was to know about vanilla. After visiting the plantations for the first time, we were all not only deeply affected by the incredible warmth and hospitality of the Malagasy people but surprised by what we learned about the wide variety, tastes and scents of vanilla.

The World’s Largest Producer of Vanilla

Traveling direct to the source of his ingredients was not an unusual undertaking for Pierre Marcolini. Since opening his eponymous chocolate Maison in Brussels in 1995, he has made annual trips across the globe to meet and buy direct from producers of the highest quality cocoa beans and other raw ingredients. His cocoa beans are ethically sourced from independent producers in Cuba, Indonesia, India, Sao Tome and Principe, Peru, Venezuela and Madagascar. Likewise, carefully selected exotic ingredients are chosen, such as pink pepper from Morocco, Iranian pistachios, Szechuan pepper, vanilla from Madagascar, Sicilian lemons, Ceylon cinnamon or hazelnuts from Piedmont. This spring, the master chocolate maker’s search was for the best vanilla in Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean off the south east coast of Africa, the world’s biggest producer of the spice.

Madagascar’s main industry is vanilla and although it is mainly grown in the north east, vanilla farms can be found throughout the country. And in each area, due to rainfall and terrain, the vanilla has subtle differences in taste. Madagascar exports pretty much all vanilla harvested and the Malagasy people have, for the most part, never even tasted this extremely valuable product.

Is Madagascar the New Costa Rica?

Madagascar has the feel of Costa Rica thirty years ago, before the central American country became the major tourist destination it is today. The island country has a similar varied natural beauty with jungles, mountains, volcanoes, over 5,000 kilometers of coastline and some of some of the world’s most unique flora and fauna. But it is a tricky place to navigate for visitors as tourism is in its infancy (GDP from tourism is a mere 1.4%). There are a small number of direct flights from Europe to Madgascar, including a daily flight from Paris to the capital and there’s one from Milan to Nose Be, an island beach resort off Madagascar’s northwestern coast. However, it’s safe to say that the African country is one that everyone has heard of and is intrigued by but few have visited. This seems to be set to change, judging from an appealing new government tourism website extolling the country’s many charms.

Ethical Vanilla Trade

Criss crossing Madagascar in a small Cessna plane and jeep from the capital Antananarivo, we traveled with Pierre Marcolini to often difficult-to-access vanilla farms and factories to watch and learn from the skilled farmers. The greeting at each vanilla plantation was always a friendly Salama (hello in Malagasy), along with music, dance and a gift of colorful handwoven lambas (sarongs). The farmers own their own holdings and belong to “societies” or collectives that consult with the government to set the price per kilo that all in theory agree to stick with. In this way, farmers receive a fair price and it is these producers that Pierre Marcolini visited, including the plantations and factories of Sahanala, Somava and Sopral. Each is regarded as an ethical producer who sources vanilla in ways that respect and preserve the natural environment and develop long-term relationships with farmers, harvesters and communities in different areas.

Twelve Months from flowering to export

Pierre Marcolini has imported vanilla from Madagascar for a while. After all, the country does produce around 80% of the world’s vanilla supply and it’s rightly considered to be the best on the planet. But for the first time Mr. Marcolini saw the labor-intensive, complicated process in person and negotiated with the farmer collectives. The vanilla planifolia orchid plants have to be hand-pollinated, on the one and only day of the year they flower, to produce the highly prized vanilla bean pods. After a nine-month gestation, each green pod is picked and branded by hand with the farm’s name, ensuring traceability. A further three months involves drying until the bean pods reach a dark nut brown color, quality control, sorting into sizes and packing, all of which is mostly done by hand as well. The labor-intensive cultivation and processing by hand after harvest, contributes to the high price. Weather can play havoc with prices too. Cyclones, droughts and floods can ruin this sensitive crop, limiting supply and driving up prices.

What isn’t common knowledge is that vanilla’s flavor differs depending not only on which country it’s from but from which region. Within Madagascar, there are many distinctive regional variations in flavor caused by soil, altitude and weather. And even more surprising for Pierre Marcolini was the discovery that ageing vanilla can add to or change its flavor as he found when sampling a two-year-old vanilla at Somava in Antalaha. As someone constantly searching for new flavors, this discovery was useful in the creation of his latest vanilla-based products just released.

The House of Pierre Marcolini

“Haute chocolatier” Pierre Marcolini refers to his business as a “maison” just as a high fashion house like Chanel does and releases seasonal “collections.” This is no ordinary chocolate producer. Pioneer of the “bean to bar” movement, he has produced his own chocolate from cocoa beans in house since 2001 and you can taste the difference. The first ambassador of sustainable chocolate has impressive credentials. A pastry chef initially, by age nineteen, Pierre Marcolini was already in charge of a team of patissiers making his now legendary macarons and by 31, he’d won the World Patisserie Championship and opened his first chocolate Maison.

Destination Vanilla Collection

And this month, Pierre Marcolini has launched Destination Vanilla, a collection of pralines, marshmallows, financiers and a tablet that uses five vanillas: Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla, blue vanilla from La Réunion, vanilla from Ceylon, Tahiti, and New Caledonia. In addition to his acclaimed macarons and chocolates, Pierre Marcolini makes seven flavors of ice cream that also use carefully sourced ingredients. Topping the list this summer is Madagascan vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate swirls made with freshly arrived dried vanilla pods.

The summer chocolate collection includes boxes of nine or eighteen prettily decorated, petite round chocolates that combine Pierre Marcolini’s Grand Cru cocoas and the world’s best vanillas. The Vanilla Caramel is a moreish combination of creamy ganache and caramel coulis, flavored with Tahitian vanilla, encased in a dark chocolate shell. Vanilla Praline is delicious almond and hazelnut praline with Madagascan Bourbon vanilla, while Vanilla Ganache is hazelnut praline and ganache infused with Pompona vanilla from New Caledonia and blue vanilla from La Réunion. Taking marshmallows to a more sophisticated level are three indulgent versions, made with vanilla, nougat and pistachio, covered in milk or dark chocolate. The Maison’s white chocolate square tablet has a low sugar content (only 25%) so the creamy, rich Madagascan vanilla shines through.

Pierre Marcolini is clearly doing something right. From one small shop in Belgium in 1995, today La Maison has more than 40 boutiques in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Japan, China and the UAE.