Watch out when ordering from Vanilla Products USA — the eBay listings can be confusing. Be sure you choose their Madagascar Planifolia beans if thats what you want. They also sell Planifolia grown in PNG (costs half as much as Madagascar). They have good prices on grade ‘B’ extract beans, but again, they come from PNG. Extract grade Tahitensis Vanilla (grown in PNG) is available in one pound bundles (~$12).

Madagascar Planifolia (Grade A – $12.45 per 1/4 pound)
These were very nice beans of 7″ or so. These beans were flexible, moist, and oily. They have the very typical Madagascar vanilla aroma, and produce a bunch of nice caviar. The house smelled great after rendering a 1/4 pound of these.

PNG Tahitensis (Grade A – $5.99 per 1/4 pound)
Recall that Tahitensis (“Tahitian”) vanilla is a mutated variety. These Tahitensis were grown in PNG. These beans smelled like fruity raisins and pipe tobacco. Nice moist beans, slightly smaller than the Madagascar.