Banana split is a type of dessert that falls under the category of sundaes. It consists of three ice cream scoops of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, as well as chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, and pineapple sauce.

Banana Split

What is a Banana Split?

Banana split is a type of dessert that falls under the category of sundaes. It consists of three ice cream scoops of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, as well as chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, and pineapple sauce. Whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and crushed nuts are used as toppings. This whole concoction is served between two pieces of a banana split sideways.

  • It is a classic American dessert and was even the name of a popular children’s show in the 1970s.
  • Also, banana split day is celebrated in the US on August 25th.

Some of the most popular traditional American desserts include:

  • Boston Cream Pie
  • Baked Alaska
  • Key Lime Pie
  • S’Mores
  • Apple Pie
  • Rice Krispie Treats
  • Pecan Pie
  • German Chocolate Cake
  • Banana Split
  • Puppy Chow

Origin of banana split

One origin story of this dessert is that banana split was invented in 1907 in Wilmington, Ohio. The dish is often credited to a restaurant owner, Ernest Hazard, who concocted this dish to attract college students. Over time, this legend became a part of local culture and Wilmington hosts an anual banana split festival in June.

However, contradicting evidence points to the creation of this dessert in 1904 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. In this story, it was created by David Strickler, who worked in Tassell’s Pharmacy and was once challenged to make something different. He used the newly introduced fruit in the country, the banana, and created the split. Latrobe also has its own festival in August every year. 

Nutrition

Nutritional profile for banana split (1 serving):

Banana is a rich source of potassium and other micronutrients. It contains several bioactive compounds such as phenolics, carotenoids, biogenic amines and phytosterols, which protects the body from oxidative stress and helps in preventing several diseases. Regular consumption of this fruit may help in curtailing the prevalence of cancers, hypertension, diabetes, and anemia. Also, it is helpful in mitigating respiratory disorders and infections. 

Ice cream is a good source of protein, which helps in muscle building and is essential for growth and regeneration. The proteins in ice cream also contain essential amino acids. Additionally, it is a good source of minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and sulfur. Also, ice cream contains copper, cobalt, iodine, manganese, zinc, fluorine, molybdenum, and selenium. Ice cream has healthy amounts of different essential vitamins and probiotics, as well. All these essential nutrients in ice cream help in combating osteoporosis, improving immunity and reproductive health, and provide other benefits. Not to mention, it is a good source of probiotics.

Commercial production

To prepare a banana split, the ingredients required are bananas, strawberry ice cream, vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, crushed pineapple, whipped cream, crushed nuts, and maraschino cherries. A banana split is usually served in a boat dish. 

First, the banana is peeled and slit lengthwise and placed inside the bowl. Between the banana pieces, scoops of the three different ice creams are placed. Next, the chocolate and strawberry  syrups go on top of the ice creams of the same flavors, and the crushed pineapple is used as topping for the vanilla ice cream. Then, each scoop is decorated with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Finally, crushed walnuts are sprinkled over the top before serving.

Banana split recipes

This is a classic dessert that has very few variants, except for toppings. However, it may be fashioned in different ways to create other dishes. Here are a few recipes.

FDA regulations

The FDA describes all fresh fruits, including bananas, as raw agricultural commodity and strictly regulates all aspects its growing, harvesting, packing, and storage. 

Ice cream is defined as a food produced by stirring and freezing dairy ingredients. Also, ice cream must contain at least 1.6 pounds of solids to the gallon and must have at least 10 percent milk fat. The FDA strictly regulates the other ingredients, including flavorings, that may be contained in ice cream. 

References

Elias Nash, The Historical Debate Behind The Origins Of The Banana Split, Daily Meal, https://www.thedailymeal.com/1125438/the-historical-debate-behind-the-origins-of-the-banana-split/ 

Deosarkar, Shital; Kalyankar, Shrikant; Pawshe, R.D.; Khedkar, Chandraprakash, 2016/12/31, Ice Cream: Composition and Health Effects, 10.1016/B978-0-12-384947-2.00385-8, Encyclopedia of Food and Health, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301702571_Ice_Cream_Composition_and_Health_Effects

Nieman, David C et al. “Bananas as an energy source during exercise: a metabolomics approach.” PloS one vol. 7,5 (2012): e37479. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037479, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3355124/ 

Mondal, Arijit et al. “Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Potential of Banana and Its Bioactive Constituents: A Systematic, Comprehensive, and Mechanistic Review.” Frontiers in oncology vol. 11 697143. 7 Jul. 2021, doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.697143, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8294041/