# What make "French Vanilla" "French"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-make-french-vanilla-french/75984>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 13, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-make-french-vanilla-french/75984 "2001-08-13T03:06:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AJCook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5daacb/32.png) [@AJCook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AJCook)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-make-french-vanilla-french/75984/1 "2001-08-13T03:06:46Z")

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What make “French Vanilla” “French”? What’s the difference between ordinary “Vanilla” ice cream, and “French Vanilla” ice cream? How about “French Vanilla” coffee creamer? Why is there no plain “Vanilla” coffee creamer? Can I buy “French Vanilla” flavoring in the store to use in recipes instead of regular vanilla? If so, how does it taste different? Or, is it all just marketing to make the product sound richer some how?

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**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:** [August 13, 2001, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-make-french-vanilla-french/75984/2 "2001-08-13T03:10:23Z")

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French vanilla ice cream is made with cream, sugar, vanilla, and eggs as opposed to Philadelphia vanilla ice cream which is made with only cream, sugar, and vanilla.

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**Author:** ![AJCook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5daacb/32.png) [@AJCook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AJCook)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-make-french-vanilla-french/75984/3 "2001-08-13T23:04:05Z")

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So the technical difference is the eggs (didn’t know that before…thanks). Why do the eggs make it “French”. Is that the recipe of a French immigrant? Something the French are known for adding to lots of “ordinary” recipes?

I take it, then, that other “French Vanilla” things, like French Vanilla coffee creamer is merely meant to taste rich like French Vanilla ice cream (I assume the eggs make the ice cream taste/seem richer somehow).

Thanks

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**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-make-french-vanilla-french/75984/4 "2001-08-14T00:31:44Z")

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Actually, I understand the difference is more egg _yolks_, not just more eggs. Bear with me while I find a reference.

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**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-make-french-vanilla-french/75984/5 "2001-08-14T01:44:48Z")

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You stick your tongue in it while eating it!

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**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-make-french-vanilla-french/75984/6 "2001-08-14T01:54:52Z")

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From Alton Brown’s Good Eats:

> [@](#):
>
> Now, unlike the American tradition of ice cream which depends on cream or the French tradition that revolves around egg custard, Italian gelato is usually…

[http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season1/ChurnTranscript.htm](http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season1/ChurnTranscript.htm)

What is it, food question night? 😕