DUTCH GROWN VANILLA MILK 53%
Guilty pleasure done right
From the Dutch greenhouse ‘tropics’ of the Wageningen University & Research centre (WUR) we were allowed to use vanilla grown, harvested and fermented in The Netherlands. When grown and fermented under ideal conditions the vanilla receives its particular spice and deep lingering vanilla flavour aroma. It inspired us to make a real guilty-pleasure-done-right classic milk bar.
We found the perfect cacao match for the Dutch Vanilla on the Carribean ‘spice island’ of Grenada. On the L’Esterre estate plantation the Ramdhanny family grows organic Trinitario cacao which offers rich, complex herbal notes that serve as a perfect balance to the Dutch Vanilla. Add a dash of creamy Dutch cow milk to the mix and you have deep spicy milk bar which is irresistible to all milk bar lovers. To us, this is the grown-up sophisticated version of our favourite childhood chocolate poured into a bar.
Creating happy new memories.
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Illustration based on Charles Lemaire, L’Horticulteur universel, journal general des jardiniers et amateurs, Paris 1839-1847
TASTING NOTES
Rich, sweet and spicy vanilla notes, underpinned with herbal and floral notes from the Grenada cacao, with a dash of banana in the background. The milk adds caramel and cream.
Vanilla Greenhouse WUR
Pollinating Vanilla Orchids WUR
L’ESTERRE ESTATE CACAO FARMERS
L’Esterre is a family-run cocoa and nutmeg estate that’s been within the Ramdhanny family for the past seven decades. Literally translating as ‘Land of the East’, L’Esterre is tucked in the north-east of the island, surrounded by gentle hills of thickly forested land, bound by a river. Falling just on the outskirts of the rainforest, it benefits from frequent rainfall and rich, volcanic, fertile soil. Still very much at the heart of the family today, they grow organic cocoa & nutmeg, employing natural agroforestry techniques, mimicking nature with mixed cultivation, maintaining the rich soil and its biodiversity.
Fermentation: 7- 8 days
Drying: 6 -7 days
Harvest season: November – April
WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY & RESEARCH
Wageningen University & Research is widely regarded as the world’s top agricultural research institution. It is located in a region of the Netherlands known as the Food Valley.
Wageningen researchers are working on the cultivation of the vanilla orchid in greenhouses. Such controlled cultivation in greenhouses allows the horticulturalist to produce quality vanilla and to regulate the vanillin content. This also means Dutch Vanilla could help in the development of a drug against the yeast infection candida.
INGREDIENTS
Heinde & Verre means “near and far”. The locally sourced Vanilla, Dutch cow milk and Dutch beet sugar allows the Grenada cacao to be fully appreciated.
ABOUT VANILLA
Contrary to what the popular expression “plain vanilla” suggests, there is actually nothing simple or ordinary about it. Vanilla takes a long time to grow, needs specific care and is quite expensive!
Vanilla is a tropical vine orchid native to South America. The plant takes 3 to 4 years to mature, with a one day window in which to pollinate every flower by hand. Then a 9 month wait for beans to grow, harvest the crop and then another 2 to 3 months to ferment the vanilla pods. Hard work for farmers.
The price of vanilla is high due to the surge in demand driven by the switch from synthetic to natural vanilla, poor weather conditions and the crime surrounding vanilla. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world after saffran.
80 to 85% of vanilla comes from Madagaskar and is tainted by money laundering, theft, violence, bribery and corruption. According to Reuters, in 2019 over 10% of the harvest was pilfered and is expected to increase every year. There are many documented cases of small farmers in dispair. This leads to early harvests in the season even before the vanilla pods are ripe enough just to avoid theft. The result is lower quality vanilla beans on the market. The high demand for natural vanilla increased deforestation on Madagascar as more and more famers try to “cash-in” on this valuable crop. Needless to say, this has a big impact on the delicate ecosystem on the island.
Dutch Vanilla can be part of the solution. Local vanilla can be grown sustainable in geothermal heated greenhouses. When vanilla is grown and fermented under ideal and fully controlled conditions the quality of the flavour will be exquisite, deep and lingering. With a fully transparent supply chain, Dutch vanilla is fully traceably and does not need to be transported over long distances.
| CACAO: ☑︎ Single Origin ☐ Blend of multiple origins ☐ Single Cooperative ☑︎ Organic Certified |
CRAFT: ☑︎ Single Roast ☐ Multiple Roasting profiles ☐ Single batch aged chocolate ☑︎ Stone ground |
| OTHER INGREDIENTS: ☑︎ Dutch Beet Sugar ☑︎ Dutch grown Vanilla ☑︎ Dutch Cow Milk ☑︎ Sunflower Lecithine |
ALLERGENS: ☑︎ Milk / Lactose ☐ Nuts ☐ Soy ☐ Gluten ☐ Egg |
| TRADE: ☑︎ Direct/Transparent Trade |
NOTES: ☑︎ Non GMO ☐ Vegan |
EXCEPTIONAL CRAFT
A variety of in-house developped techniques is used to craft the unique Heinde & Verre chocolate. The cacao beans of one single farmer are handselected and rosted in multiple ways to bring out as many flavours as possible.
ONE BAR FOR NOW, ONE BAR FOR LATER
Each Heinde & Verre box contains 2 bars, one bar for now, one for later. At Heinde & Verre we take chocolate and your enjoyment very serious. Quality chocolate needs to be protected so we have developed the perfect packaging to preserve all the natural flavours. A kraft pouch protects against light, humidity, dust and dirt. A double air tight seal protects against odours. We have extracted part of the air to reduce oxidisation and moisture.
