Vanilla is grown commercially in very small quantities on the Big Island of Hawaii. You can buy expensive bottles containing one ($10) or three ($25) vanilla beans from the Hawaiian Vanilla Company.

A reader took a tour of the Hawaiian Vanilla Company, and was kind enough to send a range of vanilla and macadamia nut products.

The vanilla is somewhat-to-very plump, with dark, matte skins. The pods are flexible with a beautiful, sweet aroma. The aroma is rich, and sweeter than traditional Madagascar grown vanilla.

Yield of caviar is average for vanilla this size. The caviar is brown, thick, and formable, but not especially oily. These beans come from old stock, prior to a viral outbreak of the vanilla vines at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company. A reader reports that their new vines are doing well.

Three vanilla beans were packaged in a very heavy glass bottle. One bean was too long to fit in the bottle and was damaged by being bent. Instructions on the bottle recommend slicing one bean and filling the bottle with alcohol, but at ~1cup, this extract would be eight times weaker than normal. The vanilla beans are wonderful, but the bottle is  expensive, fragile, and heavy to ship; I hope they consider an alternate package when the new crop is finished curing.

Be sure to visit the Hawaiian Vanilla Company the next time you’re on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Jim Reddekopp at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company says that their vanilla sells to local restaurants and hotels so fast that there’s no bulk beans left for me (or you!). I recommend that you contact Clare at Huahua Farm, also on the Big Island. If the timing is right, you might be able to buy some vanilla beans from her.

Thanks to Hawaiian Vanilla Company for providing some photos of their vanilla plantation.

A bit of information from the Hawaiian Vanilla Company website:

[Our] vanilla beans are graded by their length. Our beans come in two grades: Grade A, which is more than 6” long and costs $190/pound; and Grade B, which is less than 6” long and costs $175/pound. We also sell individual beans for $10, and a pack of 3 beans for $25.

Tracy and I both pollinate the orchids, along with our three oldest children – Ian (11), Emma (10) and Isaac (8). Additionally, we bring in 4-6 other pollinators during this busy period.

Gale writes:

I was recently in Hawaii and bought a 3-bean bottle from Hawaiian Vanilla Company for $25 and added Absolut vodka to the bottle. I have to tell you that the Hawaiian Vanilla Company beans were absolutely luscious — long (about 8″ long), extremely plump and with a great smell.

I tracked down Mike and Luluk Rich, formerly of Maui Island Vanilla, to find out if anyone was still running the vanilla plantation.

According to Mike, the vanilla business ended in 2002. Land and labor costs in Hawaii made it unfeasible.

Mike suggested Hawaiian Vanilla Company as a source, but they only sell single beans to individuals. I recommend you contact Clare at Huahua Farm on the Big Island — if the timing is right, you might be able to buy some vanilla beans from her.

Luluk and Mike Rich, formerly Maui Island Vanilla:
Used without permission: source, original.

You might be able to buy a few Hawaiian vanilla beans from Huahua Farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. New crops are generally available in May.

According to Clare at Huahua Farm:
Huahua Farm of Kona, Hawaii grows and processes 100% Kona coffee, Hawaiian macadamia nuts and vanilla beans. My husband, Phil, and I bought this 10.5 acre farm in 1998 and learned to be farmers. It is a wonderful life and we never have to go to the gym for workouts.

Since we moved to Huahua Farm we have been delighted to discover various tropical plants growing on the property. One of the most interesting is a vine with green orchids – a vanilla orchid! We have nurtured and multiplied the vine, learned how to cure the wonderfully fragrant beans and now offer them for sale.

Visitors to the island are welcome to come to the farm for a brief tour. If you are interested, please give us a call or send an Email.

Hawaii vanilla planifolia “A” – $7.50 per 2 beans, including shipping.
The beans are flexible and brown. They are somewhat plump — not fat, but thick to my satisfaction. The skin is smooth, firm, and pliable. It has a matte appearance, and the exterior isn’t significantly oily or aromatic — I believe this is because the vanilla was never vacuum packed, so all the oil remains inside the bean. These suspicions were partially confirmed when I cut open the bean and found some of the oiliest, “goopy-ist” caviar you’ll see on this site.

The beans cut beautifully. Long, sticky strings form between the halves of the bean when pulled apart. The caviar is gushing with oil. The aroma is dark and undeniably floral. Perhaps a tiny bit nutty? Just four beans yield an impressive ball of caviar.

Huahua’s beans are farm grown and cured in Hawaii. Farm curing is typical of first world vanilla production. They have more moisture than a typical Madagascar vanilla bean, and the skin is more supple. I’ve seen this in most vanilla beans I’ve reviewed from Pacific islands (Tahiti, Hawaii, Tonga).

Huahua Farm’s vanilla beans are excellent and unique. They are the only vanilla beans you can buy that are grown in America, and they are in short supply. The beans sold out fast last year (2007) — I’ve been wait since February to get my hands on some. Most vanilla purchases are made around the winter holidays, but you’ll have to buy these beans in the summer if you want Hawaiian vanilla in your Christmas treats.

Hawaii vanilla planifolia “B” – sample beans.
Clare sent a few “B” beans to total one ounce of vanilla. These are tiny vanilla beans, the smallest featured on this site.

These shorter vanilla beans seem slightly drier than the “A” beans. According to Clare: As far as I know the size is the only difference between A and B vanilla beans. The shorter beans are also smaller in diameter when picked and thus dry sooner – my fault for not getting them stored sooner. It’s pretty tricky to determine when a vanilla bean is dry enough to be stored without it then developing mold. I’ve lost some beautiful beans to mold.

Like the larger version, these vanilla beans are brown, flexible, and moderately plump.

The caviar is super oily and goopy. One bean has a bit of blood-red caviar – see the comparison photo in the gallery. Sticky strings form between the halves when they are pulled apart. Caviar yield is more than satisfactory for such small vanilla beans.

This size bean is perfect for one or two servings of dessert. They are not listed on the Huahua website, but try contacting Clare if you’re interested.