Xanath, the new-ish ice cream place in the Mission (SF), is owned by a saffron and vanilla importer. They sell vanilla beans and extract at an extraordinary discount. A pint of organic vanilla extract is $14; an 8-ounce jar is $11. A pound of vanilla beans is $26, and a quarter-pound of beans -- looked like well over a dozen -- is $9.50. Same price for Mexican or Tahitian beans/extract.
They sell flavored sugars and saffron, too, but I don't know average prices elsewhere or how theirs compare.
Thank you for the info!
That can't be real Tahitian vanilla at those prices - plenty of unscrupulous wholesalers sell what they call "Tahitian vanilla," but it's actually grown in Papua New Guinea. Some of the PNG vanilla may be grown from V. Tahitensis plants, but it's very poor quality in comparison to the real stuff from Tahiti. Beware counterfeit Tahitian vanilla!
I just bought 1/4 lb. of these vanilla beans for $9.50, as noted above. Labeled as "Planifolia," which I believe is the same as Tahitian vanilla. It doesn't say anything about country of origin on the label. I didn't notice that there were two different types of vanilla beans being sold, and the girl who was working there didn't mention it.
Can't speak to the quality, as I haven't used any yet, but it sure seems like a great deal to me.
From their web page I get the impression that they are Mexican vanilla beans.
Vanilla Planifolia (*the true vanilla ) (Fragrans, old name)
Vanilla planifolia, is indigenous to Mexico, where it is pollinated by tiny humming birds and a bee called Melipona . When it was transplanted to other parts of the world it did not produce beans until it was discovered that the small orchid blooms could be pollinated by hand.
The birds and the bees work for less than hand pollinators and are probably not unionized.
http://www.saffron.com/vanhistory.html
Sorry, very late to the conversation. "Bourbon" vanilla is from the subspecies vanilla planifolia (originally from Mexico, now mostly from Madagascar). The variety grown in Tahiti is vanilla tahitensis. if you got "planifolia" from VanillaSaffron.com, it comes from Papua New Guinea.
you can also ask for a free vanilla bean (although it's expected this won't be abused)
I'd emailed Saffron.com with last weekend's saffron emergency asking if I could pick up in person on Friday afternoon. I was directed to their store, Xanath, then I remembered the ties. Besides a 5 gram box for myself, I also bought saffron bubble packs for stocking stuffers.
This was my first time to Xanath, so I had to try the ice cream. I sampled two different vanillas --- both ungodly sweet. I settled on the special flavor of the day, saffron ginger. Only $3 for a single scoop, and while made with Straus organic base, this had several chunks of ice. And after a couple spoonfuls, I found this too sugary as well.
M-F 12:00 pm until 10:00pm
Xanath has reopened to offer pre-packed single scoops and pints. It has installed plexiglass partitions to separate the staff from the public.
Somehow I managed to order the same flavor, Saffron Ginger, that I had my and only other visit in 2013. While it did not have chunks of ice, the texture was rather icy/grainy. And still too sweet for me.
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