Original photo by fordeno/ iStock
Artificial banana flavoring was first sold in the United States around the 1850s, predating the widespread availability of the tropical fruit itself by more than two decades. Bananas were a known commodity in the United States for most of the 19th century, as the first recorded shipment arrived in New York City in 1804. But those shipments were rare and limited, and the fruit remained a highly desirable exotic luxury that few Americans had access to.
Oops, incorrect!
It's a factBananas are botanically berries. All berries have seeds and pulp, the latter of which is known scientifically as “pericarp.” In bananas and other berries, the pericarp is divided into the exocarp (the skin), mesocarp (the part most often eaten), and endocarp (which envelops the seeds).
In an effort to capitalize on these culinary curiosities, a so-called “banana essence” was created and sold in the U.S. by 1855. However, the flavoring wasn’t initially intended to taste like bananas; rather, it was developed as an artificial substitute for pears in the United Kingdom. But pear cultivars in the U.S. smelled and tasted different from UK varieties, so to avoid any culinary confusion, the flavoring was instead marketed in the U.S. as banana. This flavoring was added to sugar candy and marketed as a purportedly authentic alternative to the fruit itself before advances in shipping and refrigeration made it easier to import bananas en masse.
Real bananas only became widely available in the United States beginning in the 1870s. As noted by historian John Soluri in his 2005 book Banana Cultures, the fruit was slowly but surely introduced to the country through Central America via small-scale farms in Cuba and Jamaica. Bananas were later unveiled to the masses at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876, where they were wrapped in foil and sold for a dime each. The fair helped the formerly exotic fruit gain widespread popularity throughout the U.S. decades after the artificial flavor first came on the scene.
Numbers Don't Lie
More Interesting Reads
A bunch of bananas is called a ______.
Ready to reveal?
Confirm your email to play the next question?
A bunch of bananas is called a hand.
The odorous durian fruit is banned in public areas throughout Asia.
Durian is a fruit native to Southeast Asia that’s highly desired for its unique flavor — but along with that flavor comes an intense and pungent aroma that’s been compared to sewage or rotten food. This odor is so potent that the fruit is banned in public spaces throughout the region, including on public transportation and in hotels.
Singapore is among the places with notably strict durian bans, having prohibited the fruit on public transport since 1988. Many Singaporean hotels charge lofty cleaning fees if a durian odor is detected in a guest’s room; the city’s Carlton City Hotel, for instance, imposes a fine of 500 Singapore dollars (roughly $391 USD). Despite the food’s notorious smell, however, it remains a popular and desirable item at many local restaurants and marketplaces.
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio, and previously contributed to television programs such as "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Impractical Jokers." Bennett is also a devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
top picks from the Inbox Studio network
Interesting Facts is part of Inbox Studio, which publishes content that uplifts, informs, and inspires.
