Although some people might use the word “vanilla” to describe events, people and objects that are ordinary or boring, researchers have found that people who like vanilla flavor actually are the life of the party. A recent study analyzing the link between flavor preferences and personality commissioned by Danone’s Danio yogurt brand in the United Kingdom found that people who like plain or vanilla flavors are almost twice as likely to describe themselves as extroverts, compared with people who do not like vanilla. Like these extroverted consumers, the components within vanilla ingredients are just as social, as they interact and “mingle” to shape the ingredient.
Vanilla is not just one flavor but actually a mingling of more than 250 flavor components, according to Philip A. Barone Jr., director of flavor development at California Custom Fruits and Flavors, Irwindale, Calif. “By themselves, most [of the components] are unrecognizable as vanilla, with the exception of vanillin,” he explains. “Together, they come to life, contributing a wide array of flavor notes … which include categorizations such as creamy, earthy, balsamic, beany, caramellic, woody, phenolic and spicy.”