Calicova Vanilla begins its life high in the misty hills of Guatemala, where farmers care for the delicate vanilla orchids year-round. These plants grow slowly, often taking between 3 to 4 years before they bloom for the first time.
From this point forward, everything is done by hand, from pollination to harvest, with deep respect for tradition and the land. Once the vanilla pods are harvested, the curing process starts. Every step of our process is designed to protect the integrity of the flavour, allowing us to bring vanilla from farm to chef.
Calicova Vanilla Maya relies on manual pollination, a delicate and time-sensitive task performed by hand with a small, toothpick-like tool. Why?
Because Vanilla Cribbiana, like most vanilla orchids, cannot self-pollinate. The natural pollinators (tiny bees of the genus Melipona) are increasingly rare. So farmers must step in at just the right moment, often within a few hours of the flower opening. Each flower remains open for just 8 hours, after which, if not pollinated, it wilts, dies, and drops to the ground. This work is intimate and ancestral. It requires knowledge passed down through generations. A missed day means a missed bean.
The beans take 9 months to ripen on the vine. Each pod is inspected individually by the farmers. There are no machines, no shortcuts, no rush. Farmers look for just the right signs: a slight yellowing at the tip, a gentle swell near the base.
When harvested too early, the bean lacks aroma and flavour. Too late, and the pod splits, losing its commercial standards. Timing is everything. Every Calicova Vanilla Maya bean is cut by hand at sunrise and laid gently into woven baskets before proceeding to the next step in the process.
Once the vanilla has been harvested, the curing process begins. A long ritual that transforms raw, odourless beans into fragrant, flavour-packed beans.
The pods are briefly dipped in hot water. This step, crucial in vanilla processing, halts the pod’s vegetative growth and initiates flavour development.
Pods are wrapped in wool blankets or cloth and kept in wooden boxes to mature. This step initiates enzymatic reactions that unlock vanillin and other aromatic compounds.
Beans are laid out in the sun during the day and covered at night. This process takes 3–4 weeks, depending on the weather. The sun concentrates flavour.
The pods rest in wooden boxes for 2–6 months, where they continue to mature and mellow, developing their signature notes of raisins, sweet, vanilla, chocolate, floral, brown sugar, and honey.
In commercial vanilla production, pods are often dried in ovens to expedite the process.
At Calicova, we take pride in our slow, sun-curing method, which retains more essential oils, a greater number of aroma molecules, and a superior texture. Each bean feels supple, oily, and flexible, with a glossy black exterior and densely packed Vanilla Caviar.
