February 23rd is National Banana Bread Day
Five Food Facts about Bananas
1. Banana trees are considered giant herbs, not ‘trees’ at all
2. A cluster of bananas is known as a hand, each banana are fingers.
3. Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on bug bites are said to relieve itching and inflammation.
4. Over 95% of American households purchase banana at least once a month.
5. Bananas are one of the only fruits harvested every day of the year. They do not grow in regions that have dramatic seasonal changes.
“I’m getting so old, I don’t even buy green bananas anymore.”~George Burns
Events of February 23
Today’s Food History
on this day in…
- 1884 Casimir Funk was born. Funk was a Polish-American biochemist who came up with the word ‘vitamine’ later changed to ‘vitamin.’
- 1896 Leo Hirshfield introduced the Tootsie Roll at his small store in New York City. It was supposedly named after his 5 year old daughter, whose nickname was ‘Tootsie.’
- 1931 RIP Helen Porter Mitchel, her stage name, Nellie Melba was a world famous operatic soprano born in Australia. Melba Toast and Peach Melba were named for her.
- 1944 RIP Leo Hendrik Baekeland, a chemist who invented Bakelite, the first plastic that did not soften when heated. Those black plastic knobs on stoves were made of bakelite.
- 1997 Scientists in Scotland announced the first successful cloning of an adult mammal, Dolly, a sheep.