I don't know if anyone else was or is curious as to what the heck french vanilla is exactly? 
I see it as cakes mixes. icing, coffees. candies and I always wondered is it a specific kind of vanilla bean? Or perhaps a way of curing the bean? Well let me tell you I searched high and low on the internet. I checked with websters dictionary and nothing I checked recipe sites still nothing so finally I contacted Mccormicks as they make products called "French Vanilla" I believe it was coffee anyhow I finally got an email reply and this is what they say:
Darlene:
Thank you for contacting us regarding vanilla. "French Vanilla" is
typically a flavouring that combines vanilla and a custard or cream
base
for use in sauces, ice cream and beverages.
lol now my curiousity is finally satisfied. hmmm maybes its got something to do with the cat in my nic 
wow I never really thought about it before...but that is really interesting. I know that English sauce is a vanilla sauce used w/ desserts and things, maybe they're related somehow? Never a dull moment w/ a curious mind.
~Beth
Thanks for the info! 
I have always wondered, too. I thought maybe the name "French vanilla" (that was really just plain old vanilla) was coined just because it sounded more ... I don't know ... ooh la la?!
I also pondered this. i thought it was just a richer tasting vannila. go figure lol.
I found this on Chef Talk. Page 1 of this thread explains the difference between vanilla and french vanilla.
Your source at McCormick's gave you what I feel is an unclear explanation. I hope this makes it a little easier to understand.
http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/printthread.php?t=180
Theresa
Maybe that's just the difference between McCormicks flavors? I think it was McCormick that I was looking at at the store last night that had a French Vanilla flavoring next to the regular vanilla extract. There has to be SOME difference, right? It all confuses me too!
I think that when you buy already made french vanilla its already been made the correct way. So say you make French Vanilla pudding from the store then it was probably already made that way and you just add the "extra ingrediants" and probably the same thing with vanilla extract.
Well, if we go back to what the people at McCormick said about mixing vanilla with a custard base, we have to remember that custard bases are egg yolk based, and therefore, French Vanilla has a more egg yolk taste to it.
Theresa
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