Vanilla can be sold as a whole pod, worked into a dry mix as powder or dosed as a liquid extract. Seeds add visible specks; cuts prepare pods for further processing. Here we explain what these forms, the four origins in our range and our processing services mean in practice. Aust & Hachmann has traded vanilla since 1881 and also processes it for customers. Three guides take you from choosing a product to processing it and presenting it under your own brand.
Explore the part of your project that matters most
Compare vanilla forms
Pods, whole and extracted powder, seeds, cuts, extract and vanilla sugar: where does each form make sense?
Read the vanilla forms guide →Have vanilla processed
From raw material to cuts, powder or a blend: what each processing step actually changes.
Read the processing guide →Vanilla under your brand
Whole pods, powder or extract under your brand: plan the product and its packaging with concrete examples.
Read the private-label guide →What types of vanilla do you offer?
Compare origin, species, appearance and available grades. For your application, we can clarify the properties of the specific product.
| Characteristic | Bourbon Vanilla | Mexican Vanilla | PNG Vanilla | Tahiti Vanilla |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Thin, flexible pods; dark brown to black | Thin, flexible pods; dark brown to black | Thicker, flexible pods; dark brown to black | Thick, fleshy, flexible pods; dark brown to black |
| Aroma / Flavor | Aromatisch, robust | Aromatisch, robust | Floral, aromatic | Floral, aromatic |
| Grades Available | Gourmet and extraction quality; Organic & conventional | Gourmet quality; Organic & conventional | Gourmet and extraction quality; Organic & conventional | Gourmet quality; Conventional |
| Moisture Content | 25–40% | 25–40% | 25–50% | 35–65% |
| Notes | 1 harvest/year; manually pollinated | 1 harvest/year; naturally pollinated | 2 harvests/year; manually pollinated | 1 harvest/year; manually pollinated |
| Origin | Madagascar, Comoros | Mexiko | Papua New Guinea | French Polynesia |
| Species | V. planifolia | V. planifolia | V. tahitensis | V. tahitensis |
| Vanillin Content | 0.8–2.2% | 0.8–2.2% | 0.4–1.4% | 0.4–1.0% |
Terms that make a difference to your order
Origin, product form, processing and documentation answer different questions. These terms explain what lies behind the labels and when the difference matters to your product.
- Gourmet and extraction grades
Gourmet pods are chosen as intact, visible pods, for example for a glass tube in retail. Extraction grade is raw material intended for making an extract, where further processing matters more than the appearance of an individual pod. These are different purchasing decisions. We offer gourmet pods and extraction grades for selected origins.
- Whole vanilla powder
Whole vanilla powder is made from pod material that has not already been used for extraction. Ground pod material brings vanilla directly into a dry recipe, such as a baking mix. Its fineness also changes how visible the particles are and how the product feels in the mouth. Aust & Hachmann can mill powder to a specified particle size.
- Extracted vanilla powder
Extracted vanilla powder is ground from pod material after aroma extraction. It can add visible dark particles to a product such as a pale cream or dry mix. Whole powder, by contrast, uses previously unextracted pod material. A developer seeking flavour from vanilla and one seeking characteristic dark specks are therefore making different choices.
- Vanilla extract
Vanilla extract is a liquid preparation obtained from pods. It can be worked into drinks or creams without adding ground pod particles. Our extract comes with or without seeds, so a liquid ingredient can also provide visible vanilla specks when that suits the finished product.
- Vanilla seeds
Vanilla seeds are the small dark seeds inside the pod. Aust & Hachmann separates them on site; in ice cream, desserts or fine baked goods they create the familiar vanilla specks. Their main contribution is visual. If the product should also taste strongly of vanilla, the flavouring ingredients in the whole recipe need to do that work.
- Vanilla cuts
Vanilla cuts are pods cut into pieces. We offer tea cuts, fine cuts and cuts suitable for extraction, with different lengths and degrees of drying. A larger cut may suit a different subsequent operation from fine material going into a blend. A specified cut is thus a useful intermediate form between a whole pod and further processing.
- Vanillin
Vanillin is one of the compounds that shape the aroma of a vanilla pod. Pod extract contains other aroma compounds too, so a single vanillin figure cannot describe the whole flavour. In product development, the distinction between a vanilla ingredient, an extract and an isolated compound affects flavour, ingredient choice and the name used for the finished food.
- Air-jet sieve analysis
Air-jet sieve analysis uses an air current and a sieve to separate powder particles by size. The result shows whether the powder is fine or has a broad particle-size distribution. That matters when a manufacturer wants powder to appear evenly in a dry mix or remain visible on a product surface. Aust & Hachmann offers the analysis as part of powder production.
- Contract processing
In contract processing, customers supply vanilla raw material and agree on the required output. Pods can, for example, become a specified cut or a powder with a chosen particle size; drying, seed separation and blending are other services. The practical benefit is a targeted processing operation without investing in a dedicated production line.
- Packaging and filling
Packaging and filling turn a chosen vanilla form into a packaged product. A whole pod can be displayed in a glass tube, powder dispensed from a shaker and liquid extract presented in a bottle. Aust & Hachmann also lists metal tins, blister packs, hang tags and cardboard trays among its options. The right presentation starts with the product form and how it will be used.
- Private label
Private label means offering vanilla under your own brand. A raw ingredient becomes a saleable product with its own presentation and label. Gourmet pods in a tube are one possible project; vanilla powder in a pack designed for dosing is another. Aust & Hachmann offers individual packaging for such projects.
- Bourbon vanilla
Bourbon vanilla belongs to Vanilla planifolia and is known for its robust, aromatic vanilla profile. The dark pods are slim and flexible; both gourmet and extraction grades are available. It is a natural starting point for a baked good or dessert where a recognisable classic vanilla flavour should stand out. A whole gourmet pod also lends itself to visible retail presentation.
- Tahitian vanilla
Tahitian vanilla from French Polynesia belongs to Vanilla tahitensis. It has a floral, aromatic profile and thick, fleshy pods. This makes it interesting when a dessert or ice cream should have a deliberately floral vanilla character, rather than simply a more forceful classic vanilla note. The whole pod also makes a distinctive gourmet presentation. We offer Tahitian vanilla in gourmet grade.
- Mexican vanilla
Mexican vanilla belongs to Vanilla planifolia, like Bourbon vanilla, and has a robust aromatic profile. The dark, flexible pods come from Mexico and are available in gourmet grade. For a retail product built around Mexican origin, that provenance is a clear product story alongside its classic vanilla character.
- PNG vanilla
PNG stands for Papua New Guinea. Our PNG vanilla belongs to Vanilla tahitensis and has a floral, aromatic profile. Unlike our French-Polynesian Tahitian vanilla, it is offered in both gourmet and extraction grades. That opens two distinct routes: a visible pod for retail or raw material for making extract. The two offerings share a floral direction but come from different origins.
- Botanical species
Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla tahitensis are botanical species, not commercial grades. In our range, Bourbon and Mexican vanilla are planifolia; Tahitian and PNG vanilla are tahitensis. The distinction helps explain the aroma direction of these offerings: robust and aromatic in the former pair, more floral in the latter. Origin and gourmet or extraction grade are further choices.
- Moisture content
Moisture content is the proportion of water in a pod. It affects how flexible the pod feels and how it behaves during cutting or further processing. Described ranges are 25–40% for Bourbon and Mexican vanilla and 35–65% for Tahitian vanilla. A flexible gourmet pod sold whole is handled differently from raw material intended for grinding.
- Vanillin content
Vanillin is an important but far from the only aroma compound in vanilla. Vanillin content measures its share in the material tested. Described ranges are 0.8–2.2% for Bourbon and Mexican vanilla and 0.4–1.0% for Tahitian vanilla. The figure helps compare raw materials; the floral character of Tahitian vanilla and the robust character of Bourbon vanilla also depend on other aroma compounds.
- Particle size
Particle size describes the size of particles in vanilla powder. Finer powder can disperse less visibly in a smooth mixture; coarser particles may remain more apparent in a pale cream or on baked goods. In a dry mix, an appropriate and even distribution matters too. Aust & Hachmann can mill to particle-size requirements and assess the distribution by air-jet sieve analysis.
- Drying
Drying removes moisture from vanilla pods. It changes their physical condition and can prepare them for cutting or milling. Aust & Hachmann offers a gentle process developed for this purpose. For raw pods destined to become powder, their condition before milling matters alongside the desired particle size afterwards.
- Seed separation
For seed separation, Aust & Hachmann removes seeds from pods that have already been extracted. As a separate ingredient, the seeds create the familiar dark specks in ice cream, desserts or fine baked goods. A manufacturer can plan that visible vanilla pattern while setting the intended flavour with the other ingredients in the formulation.
- Lot homogenisation
Lot homogenisation combines existing lots into a more uniform overall quantity. This can help a manufacturer using a larger supply of vanilla powder across successive production runs and seeking to reduce variation between smaller lots. Aust & Hachmann offers this operation alongside tailored blends; a blend can also target an agreed composition.
- Microbial reduction
Microbial reduction lowers the microbial load of vanilla raw material. It is a separate food-safety operation when a manufacturer is preparing ingredients for a product with defined hygiene requirements. Aust & Hachmann offers a gentle process for this purpose. It changes a different aspect of the material from cutting or grinding: its microbiological condition.
- Metal detection
Metal detection checks vanilla during processing for metallic foreign material. It can be a useful stage of foreign-body control after the material has been handled and before it is used further. Aust & Hachmann uses technology for magnetic and non-magnetic metal particles. Microbial reduction addresses biological load; this operation addresses physical contamination.
- Product specification
A product specification sets out the vanilla being bought or processed. For pods, origin, grade and moisture may matter; for powder, whole versus extracted powder and particle size can be added. It turns an order for “vanilla powder” into an understandable agreement about a particular form of product. The specification then gives delivery and testing a reference point.
- Lot-specific analysis report
A lot-specific analysis report records measured results for an identified batch. If a powder specification includes a particle-size distribution, a corresponding test result can show how the delivered batch compares. Different agreed measurements may matter for pods. Unlike a general product description, the report relates to the material tested.
- FSSC 22000
FSSC 22000 is a certification scheme for food safety management systems. For a business buyer, certification means that operational processes, responsibilities and controls are audited regularly. Our powder production uses FSSC 22000-certified processes. A product specification complements that system evidence by describing the agreed vanilla ingredient.
- Organic certification
Organic certification describes rules for organic production and processing, not a botanical vanilla variety. The growing and movement of organic vanilla are controlled, so a manufacturer can add a documented organic ingredient to a recipe. Species and origin still shape the flavour profile. Aust & Hachmann offers organic and conventional grades; the organic status of our vanilla sugar also depends on the powder used with the organic sugar.
- Food-contact suitability
Packaging affects how vanilla is displayed, dispensed and protected. A glass tube presents whole gourmet pods, a shaker makes powder easier to dose, and a bottle suits liquid extract. These are among the formats Aust & Hachmann offers for packaging projects. A material in direct contact with food must also suit that product; this is checked when the actual pack is selected.
- Vanilla sugar
Aust & Hachmann makes vanilla sugar with organic sugar and 7% vanilla powder. It combines sweetness and vanilla in a ready-mixed ingredient for baked goods or desserts. Pure vanilla powder contributes no sugar, while liquid extract changes the form of a recipe. Tailored blends are available for larger quantities; the finished sugar can be conventional or organic, depending on the powder used.
Questions to answer before a vanilla enquiry
Short answers to common questions about buying, processing and selling vanilla under your own brand.
Let's talk about your vanilla
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