…or, more to the point – what makes French vanilla different from regular old vanilla? I know that French vanilla ice cream is yellow, while regular vanilla ice cream is more of a creamy white – and the same for pudding it.
Is that it?
Is yellowness what the French have added to vanilla to establish their claim on an entire variety of this yummy, oft-mistreated flavor???
French vanilla = vanilla + egg.
At least it is in food, such as cake or ice cream. I offer no theories as to what goes into scented candles, hand lotion, and the like.
French vanilla ice cream has an egg custard base, whereas regular vanilla does not contain eggs. I think it’s the yolk that gives the yellow color.
Because it sells. When in doubt, tack “French” in front of it and people think it’s something special. Or at least Madison Ave. does. I’d be more impressed if it was “Madagascar” or “Mexican” vanilla, personally, since I don’t think the French vanilla crop exceeds, say, zero in any given year (greenhouses excepted).
It could be argued that the French have some special process that makes the ice cream “French” vanilla, but since the recipe is pretty much: make ice cream, add vanilla at some point in varying quantities, I’m doubtful.
For a scented product, I think “French vanilla” just sounds better than “vanilla”, for the same reason that “wild blueberry” is better than “blueberry”. Of course, vanilla-scented candles don’t contain vanilla beans or their extract (nor does most vanilla ice cream) – I’m not even sure if the flavor and scent are mimiced with the same chemical (vanillin).
Well that does it then. I’m giving them up for good, after I finish eating this ten-pack.
I don’t know why, but that cracked me right up.
Thanks.
Am I the only one eagerly anticipating some jingoistic American ice cream store owner to lose his ass for advertising “free vanilla ice cream”?
It’s freedom vanilla ice cream. 
French Vanilla is much more likely to run when the heat is on. <ducks>
Vanilla + Egg makes sense. Thanks…
The marketting angle had been my best guess, so it’s good to know there’s at least something to it in the food.
It’s probably a marketing thing because here in France there isn’t such a thing as ‘French Vanilla’ nor is ‘normal’ vanalla ice cream yellow.
We also do have this thing here in the states that equates eggs and French cooking…
I always thought it was because the Vanilla in question was grown on a French Island somewhere warm, as the climate in France wouldn’t make it!
geez…I am French and don’t know the egg thingy… 
I always thought it was because the Vanilla in question was grown on a French Island somewhere warm, as the climate in France wouldn’t make it!
geez…I am French and don’t know the egg thingy…
My mother was in the store a few weeks ago and saw a package of American Vanilla ice cream. She bought it, thinking it was just plain old vanilla ice cream in a patriotic package, but when she opened it up, the ice cream was colored red, white and blue. Still vanilla flavored, but quite a surprise.
French. Yellow. Hmmmm. Makes sense to me!
NcCorduan hit the nail on the head. The addition of eggs is something that, for whatever reason, we label “French” – consider French Toast or Chicken French, which is a piece of bread/chicken coated with egg and cooked.
Here’s part 2 of the OP:
Blue Bunny offers all of the following. What is the difference between them.
Vanilla
Homemade Vanilla
French Vanilla
Natural Vanilla Bean
New York Vanilla
Of course, patriotic French Vanilla ice cream would be blue, white and red.