As? From the tip or from the stem? Whether you belong to the side of the population that peels a banana from the tip, or vice versa, to the side that starts from the stem. We all have one thing in common. We love bananas. That is, a very large majority of Czechs. Why? It will probably be their good size, natural hygienic protection by the skin, high nutritional value, year-round availability, favorable price and, last but not least, great taste. Bananas are so popular that they no longer seem exotic to us. However, we have selected a few interesting facts for you that you may not have known about them.
Banana as a celebrity!
Like many celebrities, the banana has its own fan base. It has been operating since 1972 and has members in 27 countries. You too can become a member at bananaclub.com :).
Banana as the fruit of the sages!
The old scientific name for bananas is Musa sapentium, which literally means „Fruit of the Sages“.
Banana as a wart healer!
Specifically, banana peel is helpful in the treatment of warts. All you have to do is apply the inside of the peel to the wart, stick it on and let it work.
Banana as a life-threatening fruit!
Now comes the turn of what we are most interested in :). Can we slide on banana peels?
The overly fanciful media is to blame!
The coefficient of friction, which arises when a normal sole comes into contact with the shell, does not differ much from the contact of a shoe with a slightly wet road. The answer is: most likely not! But where did this well-known superstition come from? When none of us know anyone who would fall for the peel? The overly fanciful media is to blame! In the middle of the 19th century, bananas began to be imported from Panama to New York. The fruit quickly became a popular street food across America. However, with the surge in urban migration and lack of sanitation, they were a problem in the big cities. People often threw garbage in the streets, which led to a pungent odor and the creation of public waste. A fresh banana peel may not seem like a threat, but due to rotting, the peel has turned into a slimy paste. Around 1880, Harper’s Weekly ran an article warning that if you throw a banana peel on the ground, it will inevitably lead to broken limbs. Another paper, The Sunday School Advocate, went even further. He wrote a story about a man who had to have his leg amputated when he fell after slipping on a banana peel. In 1909, the city council in St. Louis even completely banned the throwing of husks on public roads. Several things contributed to the origin of this banana superstition, the most important of which was probably the yellow coloring of the fruit. Due to the fact that there was no cleaning in the working-class districts, it began to be crowded with various garbage. From rotten fruit to horse droppings. Everything together then created a slippery mixture that definitely did not match our sense of smell. But only the banana in it glowed bright yellow. At least a few hours after being dumped. So the banana seemed to be the culprit. The myth was born and quickly went from newspaper to film, spreading it around the world.
