How to Make Vanilla Extract
An easy to follow guide to making vanilla extract in your own kitchen
Why Buy Vanilla Beans from Comoros Islands ?
Premium Comoros Vanilla
Each of these gourmet class black grade A vanilla beans are a minimum length of 14-16 cm on average. Comoros vanilla is rich creamy with depth in vanilla flavor.
Ethically Sourced Vanilla
Ethically sourced by our team directly on the ground in Comoros, these vanilla beans are crowd pleaser with notes similar to Madagascar vanilla with marshmallow undertones
Sustainably Grown Vines
Farmers growing vanilla for Slofoodgroup online spice shop are stewards of their land and practice agroforestry maintaining the health of their vanilla vines and natural forest land of Comoros
Great for Vanilla Extract
Comoros vanilla beans are sourced for their premium quality these planifolia type vanilla pods are perfectly suited for baking, cooking, or making rich and cream homemade vanilla extract.
Technical Specifications
| Origin | Comoros |
|---|---|
| Species | Vanilla planifolia (Bourbon Vanilla) |
| Grade | Gourmet, Grade A, Prime, Black |
| Size | Avg 14 cm and Up |
| Harvest | Hand-Pollinated, Volcanic Soil Grown, Sun-Cured |
| Certifications | Kosher, GMP |
| Moisture Content | 28-35% |
| Aroma | Rich, Creamy, with Hints of Marshmallow and Brown Butter |
| Flavor Profile | Rich, Creamy, Complex, Bourbon Vanilla |
| Tasting Notes | Marshmallow, Dark Chocolate, Caramel, Brown Butter |
| Uses | Baking, Ice Cream, Extract Making, Custards |
| Pairing | Dark Chocolate, Caramel, Coffee, Cream |
| Rarity | Limited Production, Direct-Sourced |
| Packaging | Vacuum-Sealed, Food-Grade |
| Shelf Life | 12-24 Months Properly Stored |
Where to Buy Vanilla Beans from Comoros
Buy Comoros vanilla beans directly at Slofoodgroup online spice shop. When it comes to vanilla, there is perhaps one name that is the most famous of all, Bourbon vanilla. While this term for vanilla beans once referred solely to vanilla grown on the island of Réunion, it now describes vanilla from Madagascar, Comoros, Réunion, and many other regions that grow Vanilla planifolia.
Black Vanilla from Comoros (Vanille Noire des Comores), Gourmet Grade A Vanilla Beans
Black vanilla from the Comoros islands is a premium quality vanilla bean, rich and aromatic, perfect for extracts, baking, and pastries. You won't find better vanilla beans than these. This vanilla comes directly from the islands of Comoros, famous for its lush, fertile volcanic soil. While many consumers assume Bourbon vanilla comes only from Madagascar, Comoros has long been regarded as a source of superior quality Bourbon vanilla, available only in limited quantities each year.
Comoros Vanilla Beans, a Unique and Fertile Vanilla-Growing Region
What Type of Vanilla Beans Are Grown in Comoros?
How Many Vanilla Beans Are in a Pound?
Grown on a small single estate, this family farm has been growing vanilla for three generations. Slofoodgroup is proud to partner with this family to share Comoran vanilla beans with the world and our customers. Similar to vanilla from Madagascar, Bourbon vanilla comes from the Vanilla planifolia species. These vanilla beans have a wide variety of uses, from chocolate, ice cream, and brewing to perfumery and countless food and beverage applications. Our favorites are rich vanilla bean gelato, flan, caramel sauces, and banana pudding.
Comoros vanilla beans are derived from Vanilla planifolia, an oblong-leafed orchid renowned for producing pods with exceptionally high vanillin content. Grown in the mineral-rich volcanic soils of the Comorian islands, these beans develop a complex, intensely aromatic profile. During curing, the pods transform from dull yellow-green to a rich, lustrous black-brown color as they go from raw material to usable vanilla beans. The process takes a minimum of 90 to 120 days to fully develop.
Due to their rarity, limited production, and consistently high quality, Comoros vanilla beans traditionally command a higher price than most other Vanilla planifolia varieties. Many European buyers and chefs regard Comoros vanilla as superior to that of Madagascar, citing its depth of flavor and terroir. The volcanic soils of Comoros are widely considered among the finest vanilla-growing environments in the world.
Vanilla beans grown in the Comoros Islands is vanilla planifolia much like other Indian Island vanilla producing countries. Vanilla reached the islands of Comoros in the 19th century through French colonial cultivation, following the same breakthrough that established vanilla farming on nearby Réunion and Madagascar: in 1841, a young enslaved man named Edmond Albius discovered how to hand-pollinate the vanilla orchid, making commercial cultivation possible outside vanilla's native Mexico for the first time. That discovery is what allowed vanilla planifolia to take root across these Indian Ocean islands.
Comoros remains one of the world's most significant vanilla exporters today, despite its small size and modest production volume compared to Madagascar. Most Comoros vanilla is spoken for long before it's even harvested. The beans are in high demand, and once you try them for yourself, we're confident you'll see why Comoros vanilla is so good.
Our Comoros vanilla beans average 14 cm and up in length, with weighted variation beans reaching as long as 24 cm. These are Grade A beans with a moisture content of 28-35%, offering a creamy vanilla character with hints of chocolate, marshmallow, and brown butter. Grown on a single estate by the same family for generations, these gourmet Grade A beans are also available in extract Grade B form if you're looking for a more economical option for making your own extract.
As for exact count, there are roughly 160-170 (+/-) vanilla beans per pound on average, equal to about 10-11 vanilla beans per ounce, based on beans averaging 14-16 centimeters in length. The amount of vanilla beans per ounce may differ depending on the type of vanilla, origin, and grade. Vanilla is an agricultural commodity sold by weight, and the shape, size, and weight of each bean naturally vary since vanilla isn't grown in an industrial farm setting. No claim or guarantee is made as to the exact amount of vanilla beans per ounce, nor is bean count a determination of value.
How to Use Comoros Vanilla Beans
To use a Comoros vanilla bean, lay it flat on a cutting board and slice it lengthwise from end to end with a sharp paring knife. Press one end firmly against the board and use the dull, back side of the knife to scrape out the tiny black seeds inside, often called vanilla caviar. For a full walkthrough, check out our guide on how to use gourmet vanilla beans. Add the seeds directly to custards, ice cream bases, or baked goods, or infuse the whole pod into simple syrups, sauces, or homemade vanilla extract. Comoros vanilla's rich, creamy, marshmallow-like character makes it especially well-suited for gelato, flan, caramel sauce, and banana pudding, dishes where its deeper, more caramelized notes have room to shine. Don't discard the empty pod once you've scraped it, dry it out and grind it into vanilla bean powder, or bury it in a jar of sugar to make your own vanilla sugar over time. Always store your vanilla beans in an airtight container in a cool, dark place to preserve their aroma and flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Comoros vanilla beans are not the same as Madagascar vanilla beans, though they are the same species, Vanilla planifolia. They differ in aromatic profile, Comoros tends to have a deeper, more caramelized character with marshmallow aroma notes.
- These are gourmet, Grade A vanilla beans from the Comorian islands, a small archipelago of three islands in the Indian Ocean. We also carry Grade B extraction-grade Comoros vanilla beans and loose, split Comoros vanilla beans.
- Comoros vanilla beans are similar to Madagascar vanilla beans and consistently show high vanillin crystallization year to year. Both are very good quality, though our team would describe Comoros vanilla as more artisanal. Comoros produces significantly less vanilla annually than Madagascar, contributing to its rarity and often higher price.
- Currently, 1 lb. of Comoros vanilla beans costs $125.00, or $7.81/oz, at Slofoodgroup.










