Chocolate and confectionery
Vanilla in a coating is not the same vanilla
In chocolate, vanilla rarely stands alone. It sits behind cocoa butter, ganache or praline. What matters is not raw intensity, it is what survives the process and the months on the shelf.
What decides in your trade
What survives heat and time
Conching and tempering run for hours, and a filled chocolate sits for weeks before it is eaten. A vanilla chosen for its intensity in the pod can be gone by the time the box is opened. Residual aroma after processing is the figure to ask about.
Water is the enemy of ganache
A high-moisture bean brings water into a formulation where water is a problem. This is the main reason confectioners often work with powder or with drier grades rather than with gourmet pods.
Visible specks, or none at all
In a white or milk interior, seeds are visible and read as a quality signal. In a dark ganache they disappear. Deciding this before you buy avoids paying for a format you cannot see.
Workshop volumes, not industrial ones
A chocolate workshop uses vanilla in grams per batch, not kilos. Buying a year of supply in one order is usually a mistake: aroma fades, and cash sits in a drawer.
What we supply for this use
Volumes
Chocolate makers and confectioners typically order between 5 and 25 kg, two or three times a year. Smaller quantities are possible; below 10 kg we send an indicative price list rather than a tailored quotation, which is faster for both sides.
Questions we get asked
Powder or pods for chocolate?
Powder doses precisely, brings no water and disperses evenly in a dry mix, which suits ganache and pralines. Pods give more aroma and visible seeds, which suits infusion and lighter interiors. Many workshops use both.
How long does vanilla keep in a workshop?
Vacuum-packed and kept cool and dark, beans hold their aroma for around two years. Opened and left in ambient air, they dry and lose intensity within months. Buy against your actual consumption, not against the discount.
Do you supply small quantities?
Yes. There is no minimum that would stop you from asking. Under 10 kg you receive an indicative price list rather than a bespoke quotation, and if the volume grows we quote properly.