# Why is vanilla the most common flavor for yogurt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 29, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315 "2022-05-29T18:39:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/41 "2022-05-31T00:09:43Z")
The real question is why vanilla is the most popular flavor for ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/42 "2022-05-31T00:14:43Z")
Because it’s the best? (Actually, a good not overly sweet pistachio like Haagen-Dazs is the best, but close enough.) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/43 "2022-05-31T00:20:41Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > why vanilla is the most popular flavor for ice cream Perhaps because it fulfills the same niche as both plain & vanilla in yoghurt, arguably the best to use if you are having ice cream _with_ something like apple pie or fresh fruit? Still, I find it surprising that it beats out chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/44 "2022-05-31T00:50:14Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The real question is why vanilla is the most popular flavor for ice cream. Vanilla goes perfectly well with ice cream. It’s not my favorite but I understand why people like it. Vanilla clashes horribly with the sourness of yogurt. I agree with the above comment that chocolate is a horrible flavor for yogurt. However, it’s relatively rare and doesn’t commit the crime of being the most common flavor. Chocolate knows its place when it comes to yogurt. Vanilla doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/45 "2022-05-31T00:59:58Z")
I don’t think it clashes at all, especially with sweet yogurt. (For the little sweet yogurt I eat – usually because it’s the kids stuff leftover in the fridge – vanilla is the first one I reach for.) Today I had some Icelandic skyr. Unsweetened, but flavored with vanilla. That was a little different than how I’m used to experiencing vanilla flavors (though, now that I think of it, I have had it in savory applications like a sauce for fish at an upmarket Italian restaurant), but it worked perfectly fine, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/46 "2022-05-31T02:49:20Z")
Some people (I’m raising my hand) find plain yogurt too sour and bitter. A little sugar (and a little vanilla bean) takes that “edge” off of it. Probably why people put cream and sugar in coffee, too. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/47 "2022-05-31T03:50:00Z")
Huh. Plain yogurt is sour. And if it’s nonfat, it’s probably chalky. But yogurt shouldn’t be bitter. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/48 "2022-05-31T03:55:54Z")
Because vanilla ice cream goes with anything. Also, ice cream lacks the tanginess of yogurt which is why the OP finds vanilla yogurt so off-putting. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/49 "2022-05-31T12:27:57Z")
Thank you! I’ve been spending most of my time on Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/50 "2022-05-31T13:06:08Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > But the one thing yogurt doesn’t go with is vanilla. Vanilla yogurt is repulsive, I’m afraid consumer statistics strongly disavow that assertion. Calorie wise, yogurt is “the poor man’s ice cream” and, despite the plethora of ice cream flavors available, vanilla is still one of the most popular flavors around. Google “favorite ice cream flavors”: > Top 10 most searched ice cream flavors globally, per month: > Chocolate (97,790) > Vanilla (89,210) > Mint Chocolate Chip (59,460) > Cookie Dough (54,850) > Buttered Pecan (51,350) > Neapolitan (45,280) > Banana (35,310) > Toffee (30,810) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/51 "2022-05-31T13:59:32Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > I’m afraid consumer statistics strongly disavow that assertion. Calorie wise, yogurt is “the poor man’s ice cream” and, despite the plethora of ice cream flavors available, vanilla is still one of the most popular flavors around. > > Google “favorite ice cream flavors”: 1. Yogurt is not ice cream. 2. The facts stated in the OP already assume popularity. So this adds no additional data. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/52 "2022-05-31T14:08:18Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Yogurt is not ice cream. But, at least in American culture, it is often almost treated like, as **Jasmine** said, a bit of a “poor man’s ice cream” as a low-guilt dessert or snack item. I mean, hell, have you ever tried the Australian brand Noosa’s yogurts? First, they have a lovely vanilla one, but, second, their strawberry-rhubarb one is like eating a decadent dessert. It is sweet, it is rich, it is creamy. It may as well be ice cream with a thick yogurt consistency. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/53 "2022-05-31T14:08:49Z")
I love plain Greek yogurt to which I add Turkey Farm Cranberry Sauce which contains cranberries, crushed walnuts, orange rind, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/54 "2022-05-31T14:50:16Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > But, at least in American culture, it is often almost treated like, as **Jasmine** said, a bit of a “poor man’s ice cream” as a low-guilt dessert or snack item. Regardless of how they are “treated,” they have different flavor profiles. Yogurt is sour. Ice cream is not sour. They’re different foods, so they interact differently with different flavorings. You might substitute them as a matter of diet choices, but they are not equivalent in flavor profiles. Eggs and waffles are both breakfast foods. But I wouldn’t put maple syrup on my eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/55 "2022-05-31T14:58:50Z")
I dunno, IME vanilla is often functionally the same as “plain”. That is, supposed vanilla flavored products contain so little vanilla (whether natural or artificial) that they don’t really taste much of anything. Hence why “vanilla” can have a slang meaning of basic or default. If there are products that taste strongly of vanilla then please point me in their direction. I loves me some. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/56 "2022-05-31T15:03:39Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > If there are products that taste strongly of vanilla then please point me in their direction. I loves me some. Most premium “vanilla bean” ice cream has pretty strong vanilla flavor. You have to be careful with vanilla, because if you put too much, it becomes inedible (reminisces about ruined ice cream batch). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/57 "2022-05-31T15:37:28Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Regardless of how they are “treated,” they have different flavor profiles. Yogurt is sour. Ice cream is not sour. They’re different foods, so they interact differently with different flavorings. You might substitute them as a matter of diet choices, but they are not equivalent in flavor profiles. And yet, my experience of the flavor profile and that of many consumers is that sweetened yogurt goes well with vanilla. Hell, as I said above, I think sour (plain) yogurt goes well with vanilla. Even if that combo doesn’t work for you, it works for many. Vanilla soft drinks (like vanilla Coke or soda with vanilla ice cream) are sweet & sour and flavored with vanilla. Hell, vanilla is even added to lemonade sometimes. It works. Like the saying goes, de gustibus non est disputantum. And while you might not put maple syrup on eggs, well, that’s a thing some people do, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/58 "2022-05-31T15:50:46Z")
pulykamell, you sound like mom trying to convince her young children that yogurt and ice cream are practically the same thing. They are not. At all. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/59 "2022-05-31T15:53:52Z")
Cripes. I did not say they are the same thing. I say (as did another poster, whom I used as a jumping off point) they fulfill a similar role/alternative as a light dairy-based dessert or snack. My kids (8 and 6) will eat them interchangeably and actually eat more of yogurt. The point is vanilla is an expected and common flavoring in American culture for sweet, dairy-based desserts, regardless of whether they are made with soured milk/cream or sweet milk/cream. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315/60 "2022-05-31T15:55:38Z")
So ;you’re not saying they are the same only that they fill the same roll and your kids can’t tell the difference. OK, I’ve been corrected. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vanilla-the-most-common-flavor-for-yogurt/965315.md?page=4)