Afrika Botanicals is a leading and established brand focusing on the supply of natural, raw Vanilla ingredients in bulk.
We are proud to offer our natural and organic Vanilla ingredients to businesses and entrepreneurs who wish to utilise Vanilla in their production processes.
Please note that we supply only in bulk quantities. We do not carry stock in South Africa in order to lessen the supply chain length and pass on those savings to the buyers. Afrika Botanicals is a leading South African business that exports Ugandan Vanilla ingredients to any business or individual around the world looking for Vanilla in bulk quantities.
Contact Afrika Botanicals for the following types of bulk vanilla supply
As can be seen when it comes to Vanilla ingredients supply you can rely on Afrika Botanicals to provide you with the best Vanilla on the market.
We must emphasize that we supply all different grades of vanilla in bulk quantities. We welcome business owners and entrepreneurs from South Africa and around the world to contact us for further information on our premium vanilla powder, extract and beans.
While the Mexicans were dependent on the natural pollination by the bee and hummingbird of the native orchids of the genus Vanilla, it took a slave on the African island of Réunion to commercialise what we know today as the vanilla spice.
Vanilla is regarded as one of the most expensive spices in the world. This is due to the technique employed by the enslaved person, Edmond Albius, to expose and hand pollinate this orchid’s anther to the stigma using a splinter of wood. This is the human way of producing a vanilla bean.
Although the orchid is indigenous to Central America, it has a rich history and culture now rooted in Africa.
That is the reason for including vanilla in the Afrika Botanicals product list.
Madagascar is generally regarded as the adopted home of the Vanilla Plantifolia species. It supplies nearly three-quarters of vanilla in the world. The ‘Bourbon vanilla’ label includes the other African islands of Mauritius, Comoros and Réunion. There are only three species of this orchid in the world. However, the demand for the bean has witnessed very successful cultivation of this specie in the volcanic lowlands of central Africa, specifically in Uganda.
Although Madagascar remains the leading producer of vanilla in volumes, the quality is considered variable based on vanillin content. The industry standard regards vanillin content of 1.6 to 1.8% at 25% moisture content. We like to standardise our vanillin content grading based on 25% moisture content even though 32% is offered on the Gourmet beans.
A grade beans are generally sticky and shiny due to the oleoresin of the vanilla being present on the surface. Vanillin is rated at 2% to 2.5% at 25% MC, but these beans are typically stable at any moisture content range up to 38%.
Uganda is starting to set the standard of what is possible with vanillin quality and seems to surpass far other origins in the world.
AA- Grade beans are rated at 2.5 to 3% vanillin. This is usually the upper limit for Gourmet beans and about 5% of our crop. White vanillin crystals on dark black juicy beans.
Uganda vanilla splits beans from Kasese. Split beans are so mature that they start to split at the tips while still on the vines (a sign of over-ripeness, one might say). However, this grade is highly sought after in the critical extraction industry, where they are not selling vanilla per se but vanillin of sale.
All stock is airfreighted from Uganda, making the price very sensitive to volume.
This specie of orchid naturally grows between 15 to metres tall and is planted on support in cultivation. It is still hand-pollinated through skilful techniques.
Growing techniques vary between farmers.
The petals and sepals of this plant bloom only once a season. Each flower will only produce one seed pod, but not all flowers are pollinated to allow for a solid and healthy fruit. Maximum size is reached after two months which will ripen six to seven months later.
The bean splitting is expected at the end of the ripening stage. And that is how vanilla is graded. The gourmet vanilla bean is harvested after it splits, and this is regarded as the plant’s highest quality which is very high in the vanillan natural flavour molecule.
September to December
The flower blossoms and is hand-pollinated
December to June
The beans grow
June to September
Harvesting
Blanching – a few minutes
Drying and Sweating – 48 hours
Further drying in the sun and shade – 2 to 3 months
Refining – 4 to 5 months
We essentially have the following vanilla derived SKUs
AA, A, B – Grade (this is based on vanillin content)
12 cm, 13 to 15cm, 16 to 18cm, > 18cm
Moisture content: 28 to 32%
As per your requirements (5mm or 8mm, or 10mm)
Option to get this on vanillin content grades, AA, A, B, C, D
40# powder essentially < 0.4mm particle size
AA, A, B, C – grades based on vanillin content
MC typically 8% to 10%
In Summary
Area of Origin: Uganda
Certification: Organic EU; Organic NOP/COR; SAGAP; HACCP
Most of the vanilla is used in food and flavouring. Cosmetic applications are becoming more popular, with its delicate tones being included in perfumery.
Less known uses are vanilla used in producing certain medicines such as nerve stimulants and an aphrodisiac.
Vanilla extract has a variety of health benefits which have been used in both alternatives and could potentially be used in modern medicine for the following medical properties it may possess:
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
+27 72 658 4803
sales@afrikabotanicals.com