I'm not sure when the term “vanilla” became synonymous with boring, but it probably has to do with being the foundation for all good things not chocolate.
![Spices, their nature and growth, the vanilla bean, a talk on tea : McCormick and company, Baltimore. [from old catalog] : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e5/0b/24/e50b2446118705fcbf4d254ea2683e7d.jpg)
