The Virunga - Congo Vanilla Beans - Grade-A For Vanilla Extract & Baking (Retail)
| Bean Family: | V. planifolia |
| Bean Origin: | Congo |
| Bean Quality: | Grade A (pliable, moist, oily) |
| Aroma: | Classic, sweet with notes of Mediterranean dried fruit. |
| Extract Taste: | Bold, earthy vanilla with hints of dates and figs |
| Best Extract Spirit: | Visit our spirit pairing guide. |
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We are excited to introduce our first-ever vanilla bean from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the second largest country in Africa.
We named this rich, oily and fragrant bean after Congo's beautiful Virunga National Park, famous for its tropical mountains, numerous volcanoes, abundant wildlife, beautiful rivers, lakes, and waterfalls. In fact, nearly 25% of the world's endangered gorillas call the Virunga National Park their home. And this beautiful natural park is situated near the farms that cultivate these amazing, sweet vanilla beans.
The Virunga Congo vanilla bean possesses a taste and aroma like no other. As you open your first pouch of these beans, your nose will be met with a strong, classic vanilla scent that is consistent among most v.Planifolia vanilla beans. But as you air the beans out of their package you will notice a hint of dried Mediterranean-like fruit. It teases of figs and even dates. Those subtle aromas and tastes will be present in your finished vanilla extract if you use lighter spirits like vodka or white rum, but they can be easily hidden with strong dark rums, brandies or bourbons, so choose your spirit with that it mind.
This is a very difficult bean to find and is available in a very limited quantity. Given its limited quantity, it will likely be out of stock most of the year.
Like all VanillaPura beans, the Virunga Congo beans are of the highest quality. They are plump, dark, extremely rich in oils and have a strong vanilla base that you would be surprisingly accustomed to.
(A view of Mt. Mikeno one of the many Volcanoes in the Virunga National Park. "Virunga" actually means "Volcano" in the Kenyarwanda language.)
Our Virunga Congo vanilla beans are very oily and rich with vanillin. They are usually between 4" and 7" inches long and have a dark brown color. Like all vanilla beans from VanillaPura, they are backed by our 100%, no questions asked satisfaction guarantee.
VanillaPura vanilla beans are all shipped vacuum sealed for freshness and should be stored unrefrigerated in a cool, dry and dark place.
On average, there are 6-10 beans/oz depending on the moisture content of the specific batch of vanilla beans. There can be as few as 5 beans or as many as 20 beans. Pricing reflects current market conditions and will be updated as market prices change.
