Banana Bread; The Ultimate Vintage Comfort Food.

Did you bake as much as I did during quarantine? I baked a lot. I cooked a lot. I would have to say I baked more banana bread than anything else. I just couldn’t let those browning bananas go to waste. Banana bread is the ultimate vintage comfort food.

Banana Bread 2.0: All the Things You Can Add!

Do you add anything extra to your banana bread? I love good old fashioned banana bread with a little butter, but I did add chocolate chips to a couple of loaves, just to change it up a bit. It was delicious. When I added chopped apple and cinnamon to the last loaf, my husband loved it. Other options you can add are walnuts, cranberries, blueberries, or raisins. There isn’t a right way or wrong way just a matter of preference.

There are a couple of different theories about the origin of banana bread. Some historians believe that it was popularized in the 1930s during The Great Depression because people didn’t want to throw out the overly ripe bananas. I can relate. During quarantine, I found that I was more conscious of wasting food. A second theory is that banana bread was made popular by corporate kitchens in the 1950s to sell flour and baking powder. That theory is also plausible due to the rise in American consumerism during that decade.

Food seems to follow trends, just like fashion. Especially during a struggling economy, a flourishing economy, or quarantine as in recent times. I have a new appreciation for the delicious confection. I was able to focus on something else and learn some new banana bread recipes. I think I’ll make another pan now.