In order to dispel any ambiguity surrounding the occasionally fanciful names given to vanilla ,we have adopted the terms of the official note note issued by the French competitio, consumer and anti-fraud authority, Direction Générale de la Concurrence et de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraude, no.2003-61 of 16 June 2003.

Definition

Vanilla is defined for regulatory purposes by the 20 March 1966 decree in application of the law of 1 August 1905 as the fruit of Vanillia planifolia and related species. The decree allows for Vanilla tahitensis to be considered a " related species". The description "Bourbon Vanilla" is applied exclusively to vanilla produced in Madagascar , Réunion Island , the Comoros and Mayotte. Because Vanilla tahitensis is ordinarily less rich in vanillin than Vanilla planifolia ,the botanical name must be included in commercial documents to allow this distinction to be taken into account.

Only vanilla from the botanical species Vanilla planifolia grown on the island of Madagascar, Réunion, the Comoros and Mayotte may be called " Bourbon" .