Vanilla, originally cultivated by the Totonac people of present-day Mexico, now makes its way from Madagascar and Mauritius to the kitchens, bakers and ice cream factories of North America, courtesy of United Cargo.
Today, much of the world’s output is grown on the two tropical islands, where vanilla orchids are carefully planted and cured through a delicate process that can take months before the beans are ready to ship.
After leaving Madagascar and Mauritius, shipments pass through Paris before being carefully transferred onto United flights bound for Chicago and Newark.
Its EXP (Express) service, together with its TempControl facility moves tons of vanilla cross the Atlantic each week. This year alone, the carrier has secured more than 280 tons of vanilla shipments, with hundreds more expected throughout the summer.
