After saffron and cardamom, Vanilla is rated as the most expensive spice of the world. Mostly grown within 10-20 degrees of the equator, vanilla orchid family produces 150 varieties of the vanilla beans. But amongst these varieties, only two varieties- Tahitian and Bourbon have extensive commercial uses. This is the main reason if you buy Vanilla bean pods of Tahitian and Bourbon variety, you will find them extremely expensive. Therefore, retail users prefer buying Vanilla bean pods for sale in bulk quantity.
If you really want to enjoy the cupcakes or vanilla ice-cream of the best quality, then always purchase Tahitian Vanilla beans. These beans are really incredible with a rich cherry-chocolate flavor. Aromatic flavor with tones of ripe fruit, these beans are gourmet beans and falls into Grade A cateogry. They are in black color, and higher moisture content making them visibly plump as well as juicy.
If you purchase vanilla beans from a brick and mortar grocery store, you might need to choose between different varieties like Grade A, Grade B, Tahitian, Madagascar, Bourbon, etc. It is simply confusing if you really do not know the difference between these grades. So, let us try to understand the basic difference between Vanilla beans Grade A and Grade B