VANILLA · THE FRUIT
A green capsule.
Vanilla begins as the fruit of an orchid. Harvesting at the right maturity is part of the work that comes before curing.
Meet the orchid
THE CONNECTIONS 02 / 04
A SHORT STORY ABOUT TRANSFORMATION
Flavour
takes time.
Vanilla and cacao. A harvest is only the beginning.
EXPLORE THE CONNECTIONPicked from a plant.
Made through care.
The aromas we recognise emerge through work after harvest. Follow two different paths from growing fruit to something ready for the table.
LOOK ACROSS THE COLLECTION
A little patience.
A different flavour.
Move through three moments. These are distinct processes, connected by attention and time.
01 / A beginning, not a finished flavour
CACAO · THE SEED
Inside the pod.
Cacao seeds are removed from ripe pods with their surrounding pulp. Fermentation and drying follow the harvest.
Meet the cacao tree02 / The work between harvest and aroma
VANILLA · CURING
Warm. Dry. Condition.
Heating, sweating, drying and conditioning develop the cured pod. Curing releases vanillin from its precursor; vanilla’s aroma contains more than vanillin alone.
Explore curingCACAO · PROCESSING
Ferment. Dry. Roast.
Fermentation and careful drying begin changes in the seed. Roasting and grinding continue the transformation towards chocolate.
Explore processing03 / The next transformation belongs to the cook
FRANCE · CRÈME BRÛLÉE
Aroma in a custard.
Follow vanilla into an infused custard beneath a brittle caramel surface. The plant’s story continues in the spoon.
Enter crème brûléeMEXICO · DRINKING CHOCOLATE
A seed becomes a cup.
Ground chocolate enters water and is whisked into a drink. A new set of choices follows the grower’s and processor’s work.
Enter drinking chocolateThe story & its sources
Processing notes follow UF/IFAS and ICCO. The linked dish exhibitions identify their selected culinary versions.
