Why This Unique 1970s Banana Trend Still Doesn't Make Sense

While some old-school comfort foods faded out unjustly, this array of dishes is totally bananas. During the 1970s, the yellow fruit made an appearance in the most unlikely of savory American recipes including a baked dish alongside ham and cheese or as a vessel for picked herring. To further the intrigue, such idiosyncratic combinations circulated primarily in cookbooks, rather than at the hands of quirky themed restaurants.

For instance, the melding of banana and cured pork emerged in the 1973 published "McCall's Great American Recipe Card Collection." Meanwhile, the precedent of bananas and fish appeared in a banana-anchovy sandwich recipe far-predating the fad, published in a 1924 cookbook. It all adds up to a peculiar blip in culinary history that quite frankly, still doesn't make sense.

There's certainly nothing wrong with trying innovative combinations; sea urchin guacamole tacos hit the spot. Yet the issue is, cooks report bananas don't bring much to the table here. A Reddit user who crafted one banana dish reports that "the ham and banana together is alright. Not something I would make again, but I have no regrets." Meanwhile, a Reddit user on a StupidFood thread says "According to my grandmother, this type of food was served as a typical 'wealthy' event food...most people didn't touch it," in reference to the herring wrapped bananas. Primarily, such combinations circulated the U.S. as published promotional efforts, right at a time when huge fruit companies amplified banana marketing efforts. Today, few cook and enjoy such dishes, alluding to more fad than substance.

Despite a brief moment, the savory banana trend never fully took off in the U.S. When a Facebook user posted that "friends from California" enjoy the herring-banana dish, a barrage of disbelief sparks the comments. Yet the story of the savory banana trend takes on a different tone in Europe. Starting in the 1960s, Swedish diners created foods inspired by Pacific Islander culture, leading to increased consumption of bananas.

For a time, the fruit appeared as a fried side alongside meats, then turned even more popular with the Flying Jacob casserole, a unique medley of grilled chicken, banana and peanuts, all covered in a spiced creamy sauce. First published in a 1976 magazine, the recipe became a sensation, still enjoyed (although less commonly) to this day. A decade later, similarly to how pineapple became a controversial pizza ingredient, bananas became a pie topping, too  — a combination still widespread in the Scandinavian country.

Curiously, the nation first took a liking to bananas also by way of promotion, with the fruit's consumption spurred by the government during the early 20th century. Especially since Swedish foods often integrate sweet components, the practice of cooking bananas into entrees achieved greater success than in the U.S. Sure, regional tastes are certainly a part of it, but the recipe's origins are, too. Rather than simply marketing, such dishes emerged organically within the country's culinary culture.