The Tahitian vanilla is characterized by a vanilla scent with an unusual, flower-like component. This also sets it apart from the more common bourbon vanilla, which is grown on the French island of Bourbon, today La Réunion, and whose taste is much darker. The Tahitian vanilla contains less vanillin, but higher levels of other aromatic substances that give the pods a unique floral aroma. Synthetic vanillin smells vanilla-like, but on the other hand it lacks the fine and complex taste of real vanilla. Products with high-quality vanilla extract or vanilla pulp are unfortunately rather the exception in the trade.

This Tahiti vanilla pod of the orchid Vanilla Tahitiensis comes from the Tahiti island Bora Bora. The vanilla extract is obtained from the capsule of the ripe fruit.  The vanilla aroma is concentrated in the seeds and oil that surrounds the seeds. It all starts with artificial pollination. The ripe pods are sorted by hand and collected according to quality levels. The processing is very complex, because the fresh pods have almost no taste. The vanillin must first be released by an enzymatic reaction. For this purpose, the freshly harvested fruits are subjected to a sequence of hot water or steam treatments. This complex process makes Tahitian vanilla one of the most expensive spices.