Market Drivers, Trends and Forecasts of Global Vanilla market Market Drivers, Trends and Forecasts | Page 3

These tasteless and odorless green pods are hand-picked when they are still not ripe and then the fermentation process begins. The beans are first plunged into hot water and then the ' drying ' and ' sweating ' process starts. The beans are dried in the sun during the day and then wrapped in the blankets at night so they can sweat. This process can last anywhere from 2 to 6 months until the beans become a very dark brown color and develop a white crystalline substance( or frost) on the outside of the bean, called vanillin. The vanillin is what gives the beans their wonderful flavor and aroma and these beans are prized. At this point the beans are aged to bring out their full flavor, and this can take up to two years. Once dried and cured the vanilla pods need to be kept airtight to retain their wonderful flavor.