anilla is a natural and very complex spice. Evaluating the quality of a bean is thus a controversial exercise. It is a common rule - especially with extractors - to base the evaluation on vanillin and moisture contents, but many other parameters should be taken into account since way over a hundred components contribute to the unique flavor of a vanilla bean.

As for example Havana cigars, natural vanilla offers a great array of subtle fragrances. The ultimate evaluation is therefore a matter of individual preferences.