The Vanilla Journal

Stories from Indonesia's
Vanilla Belt

Origin profiles, curing deep-dives, and sourcing intelligence for buyers and vanilla enthusiasts.

3 articles
Filtered by: Process ×
Process Aug 10, 2026

Vanillin Content Explained: What the % on a Vanilla COA Really Means — and the Number Suppliers Hope You Won't Ask About

A Certificate of Analysis lists a vanillin percentage, but few buyers understand what that number actually measures, why it varies by origin, or why it is not the only thing that determines flavor quality.

Read article →
Process Aug 9, 2026

Why Fresh Vanilla Has No Smell: The Enzyme Chemistry Behind Vanilla Flavour

A green vanilla pod has almost no aroma. Vanillin does not exist in free form inside the living plant — it is locked away as an odourless compound called glucovanillin. Here is the enzyme chemistry that explains what curing actually does at a molecular level, and why there is no shortcut that does not cost flavour.

Read article →
Process Jul 8, 2026

The Vanilla Curing Process Explained: All 7 Stages from Green Pod to Finished Bean

A freshly harvested vanilla pod is green and odourless. Everything you recognise as vanilla is created over 3–6 months of curing across seven distinct stages. This is the most detailed explanation of the process available — from the killing phase that ruptures cell walls to the conditioning that builds the secondary aromatics most buyers never taste.

Read article →