Vanilla, Honestly. Here’s Our Story.
How a simple question — “why does vanilla cost so much?” — led us to Madagascar.
The Problem We Solve
Vanilla is the world’s second most expensive spice. A single bean at a grocery store costs $10 to $15. Imitation vanilla dominates supermarket shelves because real vanilla feels like a luxury most people can’t justify.
But here’s what most people don’t know: the price of vanilla beans at the farm gate in Madagascar is a fraction of what Americans pay. The markup isn’t from the farmers. It’s from the chain of importers, distributors, and retailers between the SAVA region and your kitchen.
What We Did Differently
Instead of buying from importers, we built direct relationships with farming partner families with generations of vanilla cultivating experience in Madagascar’s SAVA region, the birthplace of the world’s best vanilla.
The result: Grade A Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans, shipped directly from our partner farms to our facility in Emeryville, California, and then to your door. Starting at $1.90 per pod.
Our Partner Farmers
We work directly with farming families in the SAVA region of northeastern Madagascar. This area — centered around the towns of Sambava, Antalaha, Vohemar, and Andapa — produces over 80% of the world’s vanilla.
Our farmers hand-pollinate each vanilla orchid flower during a short annual window. The beans are then harvested, blanched, and sun-cured over several months using traditional Bourbon island methods. This meticulous process is what gives Madagascar vanilla its signature rich, creamy, and complex flavor profile — with vanillin content of 1.4% to 1.6%.
Every pod you purchase directly supports Malagasy farming families and their communities.
Location
Spice Bay operates from Emeryville, California. When beans arrive from Madagascar, we inspect every shipment for quality, grade, moisture content, and aroma before storing them in climate-controlled conditions.
Orders ship within 48 hours. We pack your beans carefully to protect them during shipment, so they arrive exactly the way they left the farm – fresh, plump, and aromatic.
The Numbers
129+
Five-Star Reviews
$1.90
Per Pod Starting Price
48hr
Order to Ship
2018
Year Founded
Ready to Taste the Difference?
Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans, direct from our partner farmers. From $1.90 per pod.