If you’ve ever tasted banana candies like Runts and Circus
Peanuts, you know that -- as yummy as they are -- they don’t taste much like an actual
banana. They are deeply flavorful and intense. Could you imagine if an
actual banana tasted like that?
According to rumor, this classic “fake banana” flavor isn’t
a mistake in the candy factory, but instead one based on a variety of
banana that was sold in the early 20th century. The Gros Michel banana was the top exported
cultivar back in the day, but was almost wiped out by a fungus called
Panama disease. Supposedly these fat, flavorful bananas (their name translates to "Big Mike" in English) were the basis for
artificial banana flavoring that is still used today.
When the Gros Michel were phased out, fungus-resistant Cavendish -- the skinnier, less flavorful banana we know today -- was introduced.
While that's a fun story that's been making the rounds
on the internet, it may not be entirely true. A BBC reporter tried to verify these facts with science and was unable to find any proof. What he did discover was this: The quintessential banana flavor we love comes from the isoamyl
acetate found in the fruit. In its pure form, you get banana flavor. Gros Michel
does have a lot of the simple chemical compound and not the complexities of the
Cavendish, which is why the rumor probably started.
Here's the big question: Did the banana
variety inspire that flavor or does the flavor remind people of the old-timey banana?
You can take solace in the fact that the so-called “fake”
flavor has its roots in a naturally-occurring chemical. Whether you’re eating
banana candy, pudding or Popsicles, the flavor is achieved the same way as it
is in the actual fruit. So, the candy is natural, in a way. Now about that sour apple flavor…
TL;DR: Fake banana flavor may or may not have come from a nearly extinct variety of
banana, but the chemical they used to make the flavoring is the same as what’s
in the banana.