# Ooh la la -- what's French about French vanilla? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471 "2008-01-14T14:06:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/1 "2008-01-14T14:06:24Z")
Enjoying a tasty mug of French Vanilla Cocoa right now, and wondering what makes French vanilla French. ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/2 "2008-01-14T14:12:37Z")
French vanilla ice cream, at the least, contains eggs in addition to the regular cream, sugar, and vanilla. Now how that is exactly “French,” I’m not sure, but French cuisine does contain a lot of eggs… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/3 "2008-01-14T14:15:11Z")
I suspect part of it is just marketing. Foods labeled “French something” sell better because they evoke a sense of European sophistication and French cuisine has a reputation for superiority. Why not associate your product with an expensive culinary experience? [Cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla) The term French vanilla is not a type of vanilla, but is often used to designate preparations that have a strong vanilla aroma, and contain vanilla grains. The name originates from the French style of making ice cream custard base with vanilla pods, cream, and egg yolks. French vanilla is commonly misrepresented in coffee shops as a flavour of syrup, however it is not possible to recreate a true French vanilla flavour in coffee. Therefore flavours that are referred to as “French Vanilla” in cafes do not create a French vanilla flavour in any form, although this is a wide-reaching misconception in certain cafe cultures. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/4 "2008-01-14T14:50:21Z")
It submits more quickly to German chocolate? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/5 "2008-01-14T14:59:27Z")
You mean the label on the box is a _lie_!?!?!! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/6 "2008-01-14T15:01:27Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] It submits more quickly to German chocolate? [/QUOTE] Oooh, you play _hardball_, you do! 😃 And here I was just going to say “it’s more yellow”. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/7 "2008-01-14T15:29:25Z")
Patricia Rain, author of _Vanilla_ contends that the term french vanilla is either from the days when the french colonies had the lions share of the vanilla trade and consequently all vanilla was french vanilla. Alternatively, french vanilla was a sub-species or variety of vanilla that was grown in the french colonies. All this is based on old and probably incorrect memories. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/8 "2008-01-15T05:29:29Z")
Now…what’s “New York” about little black specks in “New York Vanilla” ice cream? My best guess as a kid was they were supposed to represent soot. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/9 "2008-01-15T06:49:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Now…what’s “New York” about little black specks in “New York Vanilla” ice cream? > > My best guess as a kid was they were supposed to represent soot. New York Vanilla? I’m from New York and that’s a new one on me. What you’re describing is Philadelphia Vanilla - which is basically vanilla ice cream made with cream, sugar, and vanilla with no eggs. It’s also often noted for using vanilla beans instead of vanilla extract as the flavoring which accounts for the little black specks - those are vanilla seeds. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/10 "2008-01-15T07:44:18Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] It submits more quickly to German chocolate? [/QUOTE] Only on penalties. ---
**Author:** ![yams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/848f3c/32.png) [@yams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yams)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/11 "2008-01-15T07:50:40Z")
I used to work in a coffee shop, and we had vanilla flavored syrup, and French vanilla syrup. The French vanilla was, unfathomably to me, extremely popular. Whenever we would run out, we could manufacture it on the spot by mixing equal parts regular vanilla and hazelnut syrups. I dont know what this means in regards to ice cream. love yams!! ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/12 "2008-01-15T12:53:21Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] those are vanilla seeds. [/QUOTE] Actually, they’re the ground up bits of vanilla bean pods. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/13 "2008-01-15T13:39:38Z")
[QUOTE=Hypno-Toad] Actually, they’re the ground up bits of vanilla bean pods. [/QUOTE] When I first had this, I thought the ground up bits of black were insect parts that got into their machinery. So I threw it out. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/14 "2008-01-15T15:01:29Z")
[QUOTE=The Controvert] When I first had this, I thought the ground up bits of black were insect parts … [/QUOTE] You know, it’s a shame the [Whizzo Chocolate Company](http://www.ibras.dk/montypython/episode06.htm#5) never ventured into ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/15 "2008-01-15T15:08:54Z")
Say what you like, but I prefer the term _Freedom_ Vanilla. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/16 "2008-01-15T15:18:54Z")
[QUOTE=The Controvert] When I first had this, I thought the ground up bits of black were insect parts that got into their machinery. [/QUOTE] If I ever have a kid, I will tell them this. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/17 "2008-01-15T17:26:30Z")
Here’s a little more on [Vanilla](http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Vani_pla.html) It jogs some of my memories about French Vanilla being from french colonies. Only this page calls it “Bourbon” vanilla. Same difference since the Bourbon referred to is the French royal family rather than a drink. When I moved to S. FLA I thought how awesome it would be to grow some vanilla on my patio. What a joke. Even this far south is too cool for vanilla and even if the climate was OK, it takes a month or so of daily work drying and massaging the beans several times a day to turn them into a usable product. How the meso-americans figured this out is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/18 "2008-01-15T18:04:04Z")
Bourbon refers to the Île Bourbon (Réunion Island) where vanilla is grown. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/19 "2008-01-15T18:09:10Z")
[QUOTE=Gymnopithys] Bourbon refers to the Île Bourbon (Réunion Island) where vanilla is grown. [/QUOTE] Yes, named for the Bourbon family. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471/20 "2008-01-15T18:11:03Z")
Yeah, but which branch of the bourbon family? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ooh-la-la-whats-french-about-french-vanilla/433471.md?page=2)