1×1 of the vanilla price trend – baking tips from Bettina
What is currently new about vanilla? We have reported on the extreme price increase for vanilla several times this year. We are slowly approaching the wedding for the vanilla, because croissants and cookies want to be baked. Is there something new or is there even a price reduction in sight? The harvest in Madagascar has shrunk, the harvested quantity is rather below average compared to previous years, but demand has also declined due to the high prices. That gives hope, but further processing of the fermentation and drying of the popular bars is still ongoing. Prices are not negotiated before October. Since Madagascar is decisive for this article, all other growing areas also wait until they themselves go to the market with price offers. So there will be no price relaxation for this year. Availability is guaranteed at Hartkorn, but unfortunately we also had to raise prices. All cookie makers have room for variation and creativity, how about Tonka-Kipferl? Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? So we threw ourselves into our aprons and prepared a few cookie recipes for next week and be careful, SPOILER ALARM, the Tonka-Kipferl will be there too!
1×1 of spice shopping – chat with Bettina
What do you do for a living, I am often asked. My answer: I buy spices for hard grain! Sounds like long trips to exotic countries. Unfortunately, we are not only traveling to the origin to inspect the peppers and nutmegs as they grow. Spice shopping is not that exciting. In most cases, our upstream suppliers undertake the exotic trips in order to find the best spices for hard grain in all possible countries around the world. But the exotic smells are also available from us in the purchasing office! The numerous samples arrive here and are not only judged by the analysis values on paper! Here you can also sniff and try what the stuff holds and of course also compare it with previous qualities.
What is important when buying spices? Sure, the goods have to comply with all the requirements for the respective spice prescribed in the EU. We check this using chemical and microbiological analysis. But that’s not enough for us. It is important to us that our spices also convince in taste and every new batch is looked at and tried. But then we still can’t buy. Now there is still a production test. According to our philosophy, we largely do without release agents, so that the products should get into the can easily and of course out again. Only after this OK can you buy. Oh well, the price must of course also be right, which is also not a given in view of exchange rates (spices are traded in USD), growing demand, especially in Asia, crop failures and spices as speculative objects. This accompanies us all year round, because the spices do not always behave the same due to damp or dry years. There are differences from lot to lot that have to go through our tests first.
To be honest, I have just read my text again and the job is actually quite exciting – boredom is out of place here!
