STORY OF OUR VANILLA BEANS

Q&A with founder of Mileno Indonesia, Mr. Eric.

Q : Where does your vanilla come from?
A : Our vanilla comes from Jayapura, Papua Province – Indonesia.
Q : Is your vanilla of good quality?
A : Of course, because we cultivate vanilla with experienced farmers who have been cultivating vanilla for generations.
Q : How did you get to know the farmer?
A : I am very interested in travelling around Indonesia. When I went on adventure holiday with my college friends to the Cyclops mountains in Jayapura in 2010, I saw some people carrying a green, pea-like fruit. I was curious and asked them what the name of the fruit was, they said that it was vanilla. I was surprised because I had never seen freshly harvested vanilla pods (perhaps because I had lived in the city for too long). Then I was invited by them to see the post-harvest process of vanilla beans. When I arrived at the vanilla bean processing center, the scent of vanilla made me fall in love. From there, I began to actively learn about vanilla, and I was also surprised to learn that vanilla has a very high price. After learning about the complexity of the cultivation and post-harvest process, I realized that this is why vanilla is so expensive.
Q : How long have you been studying vanilla?
A : For about twelve years and still learning until now, I initially only sold it on a small scale for domestic household use. I also marketed it to domestic café, cake shop and ice cream shops and until now they have been my regulars customers. Until finally in 2022, I created a small trading company to market my beloved vanilla overseas.
Q : Do you cultivate your own vanilla in Jayapura?
A : No, because I myself live in Central Java with my family and only visit my vanilla farming relatives once a year, whom I have known since 2010. I am assisted by Mr. Syahrir, who is the manager of the vanilla processing and cultivation center in Jayapura.
Q : Do you use chemical pesticides and fertilizers in your vanilla cultivation?
A : No, we only use natural ingredients in our vanilla cultivation. For example, for fertilizer we use manure and for natural pesticides we use crushed garlic mixed with water or you can also use crushed tomato leaves mixed with water and fermented overnight. This is quite effective in eradicating leaf pests. In addition, the use of chemical pesticides is not only harmful to the plants but also to the environment and we love our beautiful plantation environment.
Q : Why is your vanilla plant shaped like a tree?
A : That is not vanilla tree. That is the Gamal tree or also known as Gliricidia sepium. The gamal tree is considered an excellent tree for vanilla poles because it attaches quickly and the leaves of the tree are rather dense and shady so that the vanilla will be protected from direct sun contact.
Q : How long does it take to grow vanilla from planting to harvest?
A : If we plant from a seedling with a length of 1 metre and the seedling comes from a mother tree that has already borne fruit. This tree will start flowering at 16 months to 24 months and harvest at 30 months to 36 months.
Q : How long does it take from post-harvest to ready-to-sell vanilla beans?
A : To produce quality vanilla beans, the harvesting period or fruit picking is done in stages. That is, a difference of 2 months until the end of the harvest or in other words, you cannot pick all the vanilla beans at once. The fermentation process is carried out for a week and the drying process with indirect sun drying can take up to 40 days. This is followed by the conditioning process which takes between 2 to 3 months. For more details, you can check out our production process flow chart.
Q : So, once the vanilla is post-harvest processed, what comes next?
A : Some will be sent to our warehouse in Yogyakarta, Central Java to be re-sorted and packed for sale. Because we have to make sure that the vanilla beans received by our customers are the best. We prioritize quality over quantity.
Q : Vanilla beans can be cultivated almost all over Indonesia, so why would you choose Jayapura?
A : Jayapura-The province of Papua in Indonesia is a place rich in natural resources. The soil is rich in minerals and plants grow naturally. It is far from pollution and even Jayapura’s Air Quality is the cleanest in Indonesia. This is the place where I first learnt about vanilla, and I will continue to preserve it faithfully.