Throwback to Quarantine

       For this week’s passion blog, I wanted to take a trip down memory lane. It may seem like yesterday or it may seem like ages ago when everyone in the world was baking banana bread. Stuck at home with nothing to do, many people developed new hobbies and skills. Some people mastered their sourdough starter while others baked the perfect banana bread. I want to revisit the banana bread phenomenon of 2020, but with a slight twist. I will be making banana muffins!

       From cooking site The Kitchn to CNN, banana bread was making headlines. Chrissy Teigen, Kourtney Kardashian, and Joanna Gaines were just a few celebrities to take part in the banana bread revival. Although these big names all have stellar recipes, I am sticking with a trusted food-blogger that I have followed for years. During the pandemic, her blog shifted to focus on small batch bakes for smaller families or individuals stuck in quarantine. Michelle Lopez is the creative baker behind Hummingbird High, a blog she first started in 2011. I have used her recipes for brownies, cakes, and frostings for a few years now, and I can guarantee that they are amazing. 

       Before we get to the baking process, tips, tricks, and more, let’s explore the history of banana bread and some reasons why it became incredibly popular during the lockdown in 2020. 

       The first types of quick breads were developed in the 18th and 19th centuries thanks to innovations in leavenings like baking powder and baking soda. At the time, though, bananas were rare and rather expensive. In the 1900s the United Fruit Company was formed and began importing bananas from Latin America. Without modern leavening ingredients, quick breads, and fruit shipping, there would be no banana bread. And what a tragedy that would be. In the 1930s, bananas were in great supply and highly affordable. During the depression and other difficult times, wasting food was not an option. Insteading of throwing out browning bananas, Americans started to use them to flavor and moisten their quick breads. Part of the reason for banana breads widespread popularity was its simplicity. The recipe itself is basic and the batter is able to support different variations or add-ins like walnuts or chocolate chips. Banana bread brings to life the saying “anyone can cook.” (Yes, I am referencing Chef Auguste Gusteau from the 2007 Disney/Pixar film Ratatouille.) 

       The simplicity of banana bread and the desire to reduce food waste were two of the main factors contributing to the resurgence of the food’s popularity in 2020. Banana bread is a warm, comforting, and often familiar food. While cooking itself can help individuals cope with stress, banana bread in particular can help to bring back feelings of comfort. The banana muffins that I have made for this blog post bring me back to the warmth of my mother’s homemade banana loaf that she made for me and my sister when we were kids. 

       Overall, I found the banana muffin recipe from Hummingbird High to be moist and high in banana flavor. I added walnuts to half of the muffins and chocolate chips to the other half. The recipe was simple and easy to follow which is great for busy college students. I think my favorite thing about this recipe is that it makes a small batch of muffins. Sometimes, standard recipes produce too much and I am forced to throw things out after a few days. These are a great breakfast treat and I highly recommend heating them up before enjoying them with a glass of tea or coffee. 

https://www.thekitchn.com/banana-bread-official-comfort-food-coronavirus-23021239

Small Batch Banana Nut Muffins

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/02/health/banana-bread-pandemic-baking-wellness-trnd/index.html