I’ve never seen a “Banana Meatloaf” recipe I found this today in the 1935 booklet, and now another in the “Study of the Banana: It’s Everyday Use and Food Value” cooking booklet, Reddit link. The second Banana Meatloaf recipe had double the portions. What does the1935 Wichita Eagle booklet and A Study of the Banana cooking booklet have in common, to have the same recipe?
In part, the Fruit Dispatch Co. sponsored the Wichita Cooking School, and promoted bananas everywhere: magazine print ads, sponsorship, and free banana folders distributed to grocery stores. Coupon states: “Gentlemen: I want the Grocer’s Advertising Manual and 50 free folders about bananas for distribution to my customers.“
A Study of the Banana recipe booklet is published by United Fruit Company, and its subsidiary was the Fruit Dispatch Co., both Pier 3, NY — so they were spreading the news about bananas. They succeeded–who doesn’t have bananas in their kitchen as we speak?
There is a different opinion about bananas because of the history of the Banana Republic in Central America, which needs to be mentioned.
Sources
eBay searches [no affiliation]
1935 Sell More Bananas Manual Offer Fruit Dispatch Co. New York 2-Page Print Ad
AND
Rare Vintage 1935 The Wichita Eagle Foods on Parade Cooking School Recipes Green
