National Banana Day

April 20th marks the celebration of National Banana Day. Bananas are celebrated for their nutritional value and health benefits as wonderful sources of fiber, potassium, protein, and vitamins such as vitamin C and B6, as well as their comedic influence. 

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world with more than one hundred billion harvested each year. They have a long history dating back to their first westward migration from India and the surrounding areas in 327 B.C. Arab traders spread the fruit through Africa.

Despite bananas long history, the future of the fruit is not guaranteed. Iin fact, the most common variety of banana that you see in grocery stores today, called Cavendish bananas, are a totally different strain than was used previously and is the base for banana flavoring, the Gros Michel, which went extinct in the 1950s. 

Bananas are particularly susceptible to diseases and disasters as they do not have seeds. Becuase of this, banana palms, which are technically a type of grass and not a tree at all, are all grown from cuttings through the process of propagation. This means that all Cavendish bananas are nearly identical genetically. 

Celebrate this National Banana Day by enjoying some fresh banana slices on your cereal, making some scrumptious banana bread, or dressing up like a banana to do the peanut butter jelly dance. There are so many ways to enjoy bananas so don’t be afraid to get creative!

Contact us today to spice up your next product with that little extra kick of flavor!