Chantale Caron is the only one to sell real vanilla extract in Canada. In addition to her entrepreneurial project, she sponsors producers all over the world so that they can get the right price for this treasure from their land. Long-term work honored Thursday evening at the 2022 Food Innovation Awards gala.
Before founding Colibri Vanille, Chantale Caron owned an organic farm, produced duck eggs and ran a five-bedroom B&B in her ancestral home in Saint-Roch-de-Richelieu. “And what can be cooked with eggs? Vanilla ! I prepared flans, crème brûlées, always from the pod. When my daughter came back from a trip to Mexico with hummingbird vanilla, the one that grows wild, I said, “Wow! Wait, we are not on the same planet! »
Then there is a click. Then another when she discovers that no vanilla essence is produced here and that many labels are “full of lies”. “Vanilla extract is an appellation that is regulated in North America and it must only be made with a whole vanilla pod and 35% alcohol. »
Intrigued, she contacts people, gets involved in trade between Canada and Costa Rica, participates in the North American vanilla symposium. “One thing led to another, I began to know several people around the world and I developed links with certain producers. »
Above all, she discovers the different terroirs and what they offer in terms of taste palettes. Madagascar vanilla, with its smoky, tobacco and leather notes, that of the island of Tangerang, in Indonesia, with its fruity bouquet and its taste of anise and marshmallow, or Mexican vanilla, with its scent of dark chocolate and molasses.
As with wine, each vintage is unique, depending on droughts, early ripening or plant crossings. “It is the most valuable and prized spice in the world, but it has been neglected. »
A universe of possibilities challenges him, as much as the humans behind each fruit. She then gave herself the mission of revaluing everything that surrounds the production of vanilla. She refuses to buy immature green pods and opts instead for those processed on site, in order to pay the best price to the producers. “And those who don’t know how to transform it, I accompanied them to learn it. It takes longer, but in the end we have a product of international quality. She also provided computers and cell phones to some producers she had trouble reaching. “It equips them [pour avoir d’autres contrats]. »
Then comes the pandemic. “The consequences for the economy of people in Papua New Guinea and Madagascar, it was huge! They lived through famines because no one bought their vanilla anymore. People were not aware that by saying: “We must protect our local economy”, [on pouvait nuire à de] small producers who depend on exports. For them, it is essential. […] I like sweet clover, but it will never be cheaper than vanilla and we will never produce enough of it to meet the demand. »
Mme Caron then decided to increase its demand for vanilla, by expanding its market, hitherto made up of restaurants and processors. It is developing a line of vanilla extracts and pastes for grocery stores. Sobey’s and Metro follow suit.
Eco-responsible approach
As an ambassador for fair trade vanilla, she does not hesitate to put producers in contact with other importers. Recently, Switzerland and Germany have benefited from his contacts. She talks about Pablo Cespedez, who makes cocoa in Costa Rica and now grows some vanilla just for her. “They have an excellent price, and that’s extra income for the workers. Pablo takes part of it to make his chocolate; everybody is happy. »
She then tells the story of Don Christine Ramirez, in Mexico, who had never done any exporting before meeting her. She recounts the effects of the pandemic on stocks, the inability of producers to pay for their organic certification due to a lack of income and the stranglehold of American companies. “Five hundred years later, the people of the Totonacos are able to sell themselves internationally,” she rejoices. We feel a real affection for all these people with whom she works together. “I speak to ‘I’, but it’s ‘we’. I do this with my gang in Papua New Guinea, in Madagascar, with the Totonacos of Mexico, etc. All these producers had no international customers before. They sold locally to agencies, at pittance prices. »
Thanks to these collaborations, several Quebec companies now benefit from eco-responsible vanilla. Allo Simonne, Viva panettone and La Laiterie Chagnon are among those who seek Chantale Caron’s advice to find the right combination of flavors for their projects. “When I work with a brewer who is making a stout, I recommend a planifolia from Madagascar to bring out the chocolate notes of the black beer, she gives as an example. When they do a raspberry summer beer, I suggest the Tahitensis. »
She also recommends having fun with vanilla. “The Aztecs invented the chocolate-vanilla mixture, but in Polynesia, we put vanilla in fish ceviche. In Mexico, it is eaten with seafood. You have to be daring! We add it at the end of the duck breast cooking or we caramelize the root vegetables in vanilla, it’s to roll on the ground! »