From departure to the first pods
I wanted to choose the pods on site and meet the producers. From Nosy Be, I had planned the journey to Antalaha and Sambava, then the meetings. The road was still ahead.
A long road before smelling the vanilla
The outward journey took about twenty-four hours door to door. The driver and a passenger fought: we stopped for several hours. When we set off again, I thought the hardest part was behind us.
Five hundred metres later, a breakdown. Just enough time to sit down again. I finally reached Antalaha at dawn, tired.
Antalaha and Sambava, in the heart of SAVA
South of Sambava, Antalaha belongs to SAVA : Sambava, Antalaha, Vohémar and Andapa. In northeastern Madagascar, this region is the main historic vanilla-growing area, although vanilla is also grown elsewhere on the island.
My family comes from this region and my mother produces vanilla there. In the video, she lights the bundles with her phone. After the journey, we could finally take time to look at, touch and smell the pods together.
Take the pod in your hand, then smell it
On site, I compare the pods’ appearance, flexibility between my fingers and scent. Laboratory measurements then complement this selection.
After talking with the producers comes negotiation: identifying the lot, quantity and documents. Then the pods are packed for the return and the paperwork assembled.
Complement the selection with measurements
After choosing the pods with my mother, I wanted the sample presented to the laboratory to be measured. On the PRULAB report issued in Sambava on 19 September 2026, the moisture content is 35,19 % and the vanillin content is 1,75 %. These are the results for this sample.
Leaving with the pods and their story
On the way back, I carried the pods, their documents and the memory of the hours stopped. Above all, I had chosen this vanilla on site, with the people who produce it.
In the Nosy Be shop, I also tell you about SAVA and the road travelled. The scent of the opened pack comes with this story.
The vanilla production guide published by the World Bank helps place SAVA and its role in the industry in context.
The story continues with why I also sell vanilla and the Nosy Be shop where I present my range.