[:RU]Today, under the cut the entire process of cultivation and further processing of vanilla. Our farm is located in Madagascar, about 600 kilometers from the capital.

1. You can get there by car, but it’s long enough. Today, therefore, we chose the plane.

2. early morning. We slept a little — once, in front of a very long day!

3. Those who weigh less, put back.

4. The rest are distributed evenly through the cabin — for «stability.»

5. Let’s go! Iwata Airport, the city of Antananarivo.

6. Under the wing of the aircraft boundless sea of the taiga jungle and waterfalls.

7. We fly. 600 km behind.

8. Destination airport Manakara. We have been waiting for — meet.

9. Next, 60 kilometers of asphalt. The nature of our sight for sore eyes!

10. Then, a little more on the «country road» — it I did not shoot as much shaking. The road toll. Pictured prices. Motorcycle 500 Ariary, 1000 Ariary passenger car, etc. The money collected that the thaw was something to fix. In the rainy season to overcome these 23 kilometers possible only on the level of off-road Defender.

11. All that is necessary to go, jeeps will travel no further — now only on foot. Around the jungles and rice fields in the lowlands.

12. unexpected obstacles!

13. Aboriginal wonders what happened there in white?

14. It turns out everything is simple: he likes-nehosh, and had to take off our shoes. It is dangerous to ride through the canals — slippery.

15. Well, now, and Plantation. Left and right of vanilla..

16. We have no waiting. Communication is not there, because every visit unexpected.

17. It is our office. What did you expect in the jungle?

18. Gradually begin to gather workers.

19. We always welcome here.

20. Although there are swear.

21. The kitchen — dining room. Lunch is always at 12:00

22. Today’s menu: cassava tubers,

23. Soup with beef and rice (white, Pakistan)

24. The meal we share with them did not, because there is no time — we still have to go back and back the manager had walked. Come watch the plantation.

25. Vanilla is an orchid. In order to grow a vine attached to a tree-guardian. The same guardian provides the necessary shade and the greenhouse effect. The three main conditions: heat (average 27), high humidity and proper care.

26. Lives vine about 10-12 years, so the plantation must be constantly updated. The photo plant that 4 months. Planting cuttings. It begins to bear fruit in the third year.

27. Vanilla excellent this year. The photo pods that in mid-June grow to about 22 cm in length. And this is the highest grade. Will they only collect and process quality.

28. And in the beginning was this: to ensure that there were pods, vanilla is necessary to pollinate. This process takes place manually.

29. Each flower must «marry». More about this HERE.

He opened pollination technique of 12-year-old servant to Edmond Albius Reunion (Bourbon Vanilla. Detective Story occurrence). It is thanks to him vanilla began to grow everywhere.

30. Tearing vanilla immature green and begin long process.

31. First of all, the pods must be scalded with boiling water. Water is heated to 63 degrees for three minutes and immersed therein vanilla. Immediately afterwards pods spilling into blankets and sheltering from the top. Leave about a day «to rest.» It is necessary to stop the pod to ripen and began to ferment.

32. Then, vanilla dried in the sun for 4-5 hours a day. On the night of her clean the room, pre-wrapped in a blanket (jute bags) and put in wooden crates. It is necessary to dial the vanilla kept the sun heat.

These procedures are ongoing for 30 days markedly. After that, the pods for another month ripen in the shade, in well-ventilated warehouse.

33. When drying vanilla «thinner» seven times. Follow this process is very important, because that’s the wrong treatment leads to such disastrous results:

34. When the pods are ripe, they start the calibration and packaging. Vanilla sorted by size, are cleaned in the direction of the split pods.

35. It is then tied into bundles and sent to the warehouse.

36. There are only 4 species of vanilla.

37. FD / Noire — 15 Fondue / black. The word «fondue» indicates that the lower part of the pod split.

38. That compared with normal. Normal vanilla, as it sealed.

«Fund» is defective and pods are sold only because all the other indicators are normal. Humidity 28-32%. Size 15 cm. It is the cheapest of vanilla pods.

39. Vanilla TC. 15 cm. 32-36% humidity. Color black. Very aromatic and rich taste. This is for real gourmets!

The name comes from the transformation of the expression «Touton Quatrième».

«Touton» — a French company that has long been engaged in buying stolen vanilla in Madagascar. A «quatrième» meant fourth price category (samoyu expensive), on which the «Tuton» bought vanilla. The peasants could not pronounce «Touton Quatrième» and the name eventually, transformed into «TK». So it stuck. If you now ask to Sambava sellers vanilla why this quality is called «TC», I think that no one will answer.

40. European Quality

The quality requirements for Europe. 30-32% humidity. Brown color.

41. American quality

The quality requirements for the United States: 25% humidity. Color red-brown.

42. After the sale of games (prior to export), we once again check all the boxes for damaged pods.

43. Almost always discarded for approximately 5 percent of the vanilla — very finicky spice.

44. That’s it! From the flower and pod before it takes about 10 months.

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