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The banana split is a dessert made with a whole banana cut lengthwise and filled with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream, topped with various sauces, whipped cream, nuts, and cherries. Its origin is disputed between Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Ohio.
The frozen dessert known as a banana split is essentially a deluxe form of ice cream, framed by a whole banana cut lengthwise. Traditionally, this dish is created inside an elongated boat-shaped bowl, starting with peeled and sliced banana. Individual scoops of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream are then placed in the central space.
The vanilla scoop gets a pineapple sundae topping, while the chocolate scoop usually gets a hot chocolate or fudge topping, while the strawberry scoop gets a strawberry topping. Some variations on the basic recipe allow for other toppings, such as caramel sauce or cranberry sauce. What remains consistent in any recipe for this dish, however, is the banana. Some argue that a parfait-like variation with horizontally sliced bananas is properly called a banana royale.
A traditional banana split also gets generous dollops of whipped cream, chopped nuts, and strategically placed maraschino cherries. Eating one can be a messy but enjoyable experience, as part of the dessert’s appeal is its overstuffed quality. Many consumers enjoy the variety of flavors created as the ice cream, toppings and banana chunks all combine in the oversized bowl.
The story of banana splitting can best be described as a duel of civic pride fought with long plastic spoons. According to several food historians, a young pharmacy employee named David Strickler invented the first one in 1904 at the pharmacy soda fountain in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Strickler is said to have loved experimenting with new ingredients and flavors, including an exotic new tropical fruit known as the banana. Strickler reportedly ordered boat-shaped glass bowls specifically to accommodate his popular new creation.
In 1907, however, a restaurant owner in Wilmington, Ohio named Ernest Hazard also invented an ice cream dessert featuring a split banana and several ice cream flavors and toppings. Hazard challenged his staff to create a new dessert that would appeal to young college students, but none of their efforts reportedly met with success. Hazard himself claimed to have created the first banana crack, seemingly unaware of Latrobe’s earlier claims.
The cities of Latrobe, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Ohio claim to be the home of the original banana split, although only Wilmington sponsors an annual Banana Split Festival. The main problem in establishing the current historical birthplace of this dish lies in the correct documentation. Strickler may have invented a banana-based cup several years before Hazard, but little tangible evidence exists to prove the claim beyond a reasonable doubt. For example, none of Strickler’s original boat-shaped glass bowls have survived. Firsthand interviews with Strickler and Hazard only confirm the basic details of their creative process, not definitive proof of invention.
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