Each summer, it isn’t just passengers flying from Madagascar and Mauritius to the U.S., but also hundreds of tons of vanilla loaded into United Airlines’ belly holds – and that’s been the case now for three consecutive years. While vanilla is a familiar flavor in everyday products like ice cream, cake or coffee, its journey remains complex and deeply rooted in history. “Originally cultivated by the Totonac people of present-day Mexico and later prized by European royalty, vanilla has traveled across oceans and trade routes for centuries. Today, much of the world’s vanilla is grown on the tropical islands of Madagascar and Mauritius, where vanilla orchids are carefully planted and cured through a delicate process that can take months before the beans are ready to ship” the press release states.
United Cargo steps in once the vanilla has been harvested. The popular flavor is flown from the Indian Ocean islands to Paris, where it is then transferred onto United Airlines flights bound for Chicago and Newark. Large volumes of vanilla are transported via United Cargo’s EXP (Express) service every week – unless they have been worked into finished products such as ice cream, in which case they travel on the carrier’s TempControl solution which maintains the ideal temperature to secure product integrity. Already, this year, over 280 tons have been carried with many more to come over the summer season.
“Whether it’s a teaspoon in your favorite dessert or a splash in your morning coffee, vanilla feels like an everyday ingredient. However, getting that flavor from its origin to kitchens around the world takes a lot more than most people realize.
From orchid fields to daily shipments, every vanilla bean has a journey behind it. Growers, freight forwarders and cargo teams all play a role in helping one of the world’s favorite flavors make its way around the globe,” the release continues.
Intricate coordination is required to move vanilla through the supply chain. What people might take for granted, stacked on the shelves of their local supermarket, has actually come a long way and has quite the journey behind it.
