In Defense of Vanilla

For some reason, vanilla, a legitimate and otherwise popular flavor, has come to mean “plain” or even “devoid of characteristics”. This is just wrong. Vanilla is a flavoring as legitimate and unique as any other. So leave it alone and give it the respect it deserves.

Oh, and check this out:

The name came from the Spanish word "vainilla", diminutive form of "vaina" (meaning "sheath"), which is in turn derived from Latin "vagina".

Well OK, depending on who you talk to, that might not speak well for vanilla as a flavor but it's interesting just the same.