The word « gourmet » appears on vanilla boxes without any international standard framing it. Behind the packaging, four measurable criteria separate a gastronomic vanilla from an ordinary one. A factual analysis, no concessions.
Gourmet is a commercial appellation, not a regulatory standard
Unlike organic certification or protected designations of origin, the word « gourmet » is not defined by any European or international body. Each producer, each exporter uses it according to their own commercial criteria. In practice, the vanilla trade has converged on four indicators.
Four criteria that actually separate Gourmet from Standard
1. Residual moisture
Gourmet vanilla has residual moisture between 30 and 38%. Standard vanilla (TK, Top Kitchen) is drier: 25 to 30%. Higher moisture keeps the pod supple, easier to split, more fragrant to the nose. Drier vanilla is more concentrated but tougher.
2. Vanillin content
A Gourmet Grade A pod from SAVA typically contains 1.8-2.4% vanillin by mass. TK grades cover 1.5-2% vanillin. This is the main phenolic aldehyde responsible for the recognisable aroma — but not the only one. A trained palate distinguishes a real Bourbon from a Comorian or Ugandan variant by hundreds of secondary compounds, not by vanillin alone.
3. Length and appearance
Gourmet Grade A: 14 to 20 cm, whole, supple, dark brown to black, non-split. TK: 12-14 cm, split pods accepted. Beyond length, appearance signals ageing quality: a well-cured Gourmet bean is oily to the touch, wraps around a finger without breaking.
4. Traceability and post-harvest processing
A real Gourmet vanilla comes from batches sorted by hand, aged in wood, traceable to the village of origin. Standard vanilla goes through fewer sorting steps, sometimes bulk-blended. In practice, this criterion is often the invisible one that separates a professional grocery-store bean from a wholesale market lot.
What we ship as Gourmet
Mahomby Export ships its Gourmet grade under a single commercial category: whole beans, 14 to 20 cm, moisture 30-38%, vanillin 1.8-2.4%, hand-sorted, batch-traced to Virembina or Nosy Be (Antalaha municipality). Each pouch carries batch number, packaging date, vanillin content.
Standard grade (TK): 12-14 cm, moisture 27-33%, vanillin 1.5-2%. For pastry extraction, industrial use, or applications where the visual pod is not the point.
Order Gourmet or TK
Free samples from 5 kg purchase commitment. Contact our France representative or view our B2B catalogue: grossistevanillemadagascar.com.