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Tahitian vanilla

pacheco18

By pacheco18,
in Paul Gauguin Cruises

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pacheco18

pacheco18

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Thinking of bringing back some for small gifts - is it a bargain in Tahiti? Sometimes it's cheaper to buy on line (ok - you lose the cache of purchasing it in Tahiti) LOL. I just found several websites selling authentic Tahitian vanilla. Does anyone recall what they paid in Tahiti for either beans or extract? Just curious.

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Friscorays

Friscorays

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I purchased a kilogram for around $300 from the vanilla farm that Bruno's Raitea tour of Tahaa stops at. I did not count the number of beans that were in the package but it was in the hundreds and thus a good discount from what they cost in the local grocery store (often a few dollars per bean). The same vendor was at the motu day. Of course, they also offer a variety of much smaller quantity options as well.

 

I use them for a variety of things including homemade vanilla extract: approximately ten beans per cup of vodka. The extract improves with age and has an essentially unlimited shelf life.

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Wendy The Wanderer

Wendy The Wanderer

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The vanilla beans, if they are fresh and plump, are really great. And a relative bargain. The prices have definitely gone up over the nears, but they are cheap, at least to standards here. I bought some nice beans at Costco a few months back, but I believe the ones I bought in Tahiti were about half the price.

 

The other nice inexpensive gift is black mother-of-pearl jewellery--hair clips, neck bands, pendants. Very beautiful and not much money.

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DrmnOfMaui

DrmnOfMaui

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I purchased some vanilla beans in Huahine... they were wonderful. I don't recall the price, but they were far less than home. I also purchased some vanilla extract in Bora Bora. Actually, the vanilla extract sold in gift shops on any island are usually really good. The one I particularly like is sold in a blue box with a photo of a Tahitian woman on the front. Maybe $6? My friends all loved the beans and extract. We also did pareos as gifts, and there is an inexpensive oil (used for skin, not cooking!), I got a tiare flower scent and loved it.

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Cruisedreamer1

Cruisedreamer1

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I just finished my oil from our last PG cruise and I miss it. I use it on my skin right after I shower. I use it in my hair for moisturizing(I put in on my hair, rinse,and then wash it). The least expensive place to purchase is at the market in Papeete(you will have time to eat breakfast and run to the marketplace and back without missing your departure.

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  • 3 weeks later...
DrmnOfMaui

DrmnOfMaui

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Take your oil in your onboard luggage when you go home. I put ours in my suitcase and because it gets so cold in holdage it curdled. Had to warm it to bring it back, but after a couple of days it curdles again.

 

Mine did that too! It's oil, so it gets solid below a certain temperature (kind of like butter...). I've truly been enjoying mine this summer... kind of brings the island back to you!

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  • 2 weeks later...
mariah27

mariah27

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We paid $11 for the tube at the market in Papette..Haven't used it yet but heard you can "make" vanilla sugar by immersing a bean in an airtight container of sugar for a few weeks...

 

Wish we would have bought more on the Motu at Tahaa....

 

STUPID MISTAKE: bought some of the Tahitian Vanilla Cream (like baily's) at the duty free shop ($6 more than the Jus place) and then sailed through our re-baggage check in LA, walked through security and THEY TOOK IT AWAY!! I swear it was the red eye flight that caused me to lose my mind...not a blonde moment. Wasn't thinking clearly enought to take the carry on bag downstairs and check it in...

 

what i wouldn't give for a bottle of that now...

 

mariah

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DrmnOfMaui

DrmnOfMaui

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We paid $11 for the tube at the market in Papette..Haven't used it yet but heard you can "make" vanilla sugar by immersing a bean in an airtight container of sugar for a few weeks...

 

Wish we would have bought more on the Motu at Tahaa....

 

STUPID MISTAKE: bought some of the Tahitian Vanilla Cream (like baily's) at the duty free shop ($6 more than the Jus place) and then sailed through our re-baggage check in LA, walked through security and THEY TOOK IT AWAY!! I swear it was the red eye flight that caused me to lose my mind...not a blonde moment. Wasn't thinking clearly enought to take the carry on bag downstairs and check it in...

 

what i wouldn't give for a bottle of that now...

 

mariah

 

Oh what a bummer!! I would be so disappointed if they took something like that away. A friend of mine lost some olive oil from Italy a few years back that way. She was so upset!

 

Looks like you will have to make a return trip to get more!

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DrmnOfMaui

DrmnOfMaui

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Maui Dreamer... Did you have a recipe for Vanilla Creme Brulee? I thought you had posted one but I can't find it! thanks...

 

I do wish I had that bottle to go through the winter.... oh well..may have to go back and get it...

 

mariah

 

Here is a recipe that I found for Creme Brulee! The ingredients look perfect, and the directions are clear. It will be on my to try list soon!

 

http://www.cookinghow.com/2008/09/creme-brulee/

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pacheco18

pacheco18

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Vanilla Crème Brulée

Yield 4 servings

Time About an hour, plus time to cool

 

When baking the custard, a water bath is worthwhile. It makes the cooking more gentle and even. And, though it is hard to convince a novice cook of this, the custards are done in the oven when still quite jiggly in the center. Once you move the custard to the broiler, keep the door ajar so the compartment stays relatively cool, and keep a close watch.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy or light cream, or half-and-half

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar, more for topping

Method

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream and vanilla bean and cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)

2. In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool. Ramekins can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for a couple of days.

3. When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer. Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within two hours.

Source: The New York Times

 

I use a blowtorch (not the small ones sold in gourmet stores) to brown the sugar - works better than broiler.

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pacheco18

pacheco18

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Adding "real" blowtorch to my wish list for Santa Claus! :D:D

 

Seriously - when I first made creme brulee I used one of the those fancy foodie blow torches from Williams Sonoma. The top never came out right. I took the problem to my good friend who owns a restaurant in NY - he took out his big blow torch and demonstrated for me how to get the top perfect.

 

Moral: some of the best cook's tool are in Home Depot.

 

Enjoy

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