Banana Bread

Banana bread is a moist, sweet American bread made from mashed bananas. Bananas first started to appear in the United States in the late 19th century, and it took some time before they started to get used in desserts. It is believed that the bread was first made in the 19th century when housewives discovered Pearlash, a chemical leavening agent. This bread became very popular with the rise of baking soda and baking powder during the 1930s. Although it is an American invention, banana bread is also very popular in Vietnam, baked in two varieties - baked banana cake, with a golden-brown crust, and banana pudding, or steamed banana cake. Along with bananas as the key ingredient, walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, raisins, or chocolate chips are also sometimes added to the bread in order to improve its flavor.