Split or whole vanilla beans? For a chef, it is a visual choice. For a producer of vanilla extract, it changes almost everything: extraction yield, price per kilo, aromatic profile, technical constraints. Here is what really changes.
Whole beans: the reference for pastry and gastronomy
A whole bean is unbroken, non-split, wraps around a finger without cracking. Its residual moisture (30-38% for Gourmet) keeps it supple. It is the visual, olfactory and gustatory reference the pastry chef uses to check aromatic quality — and, in a shop window, the reference the customer expects to see.
Whole beans are used for scraping (the « caviar » effect visible in a vanilla cream), for infusion in whole milk or cream, and for signature applications where the pod is part of the presentation.
Split beans: the industrial standard for extraction
A split bean is opened along its length before drying. It is 15-25% cheaper per kilo than a whole one, because the appearance criterion is not applied. For extraction, this makes no difference: what matters is vanillin content and secondary compound complexity, both of which are preserved.
Extract producers can use them without splitting them a second time, saving a preparation step. The alcohol reaches the seeds faster, the maceration is slightly quicker. For 30-day cold macerations at 35-40% v/v, the yield is comparable to whole beans.
What Mahomby ships in each category
- Whole Gourmet — Grade A, 14 to 20 cm, moisture 30-38%. For pastry, gastronomy, retail.
- Whole TK — 12-14 cm, moisture 27-33%. Cheaper, for pastry-industrial usage.
- Split TK (Red Europe, Red US) — commercial grades intended for extraction and industrial use.
- Vanilla powder — micronised whole beans, 200 µm, for direct dosing.
- Vanilla caviar — extracted seeds, for visual pastry effect.
Which one for what use?
Pastry / signature: whole Gourmet. The pod is part of the product.
Vanilla extract or aromatic base: split TK or Red grades. Extraction yield is what matters, appearance is invisible in the final product.
Ice cream or dosed industrial application: vanilla powder or caviar. Direct dosing, homogeneous distribution.
Visual effect in a pastry cream: caviar (seeds) or scraping from whole Gourmet.
Request a sample
Free samples from 5 kg purchase commitment. Contact our France representative for a comparison across grades.