Banana pudding

Banana pudding
Banana pudding served in a bowl with vanilla wafers
Type	Pudding
Course	Dessert
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	Southern United States
Main ingredients	Bananas, cookies (Vanilla Wafers or ladyfingers), custard, vanilla flavoring
Cookbook:Banana pudding  Banana pudding

Banana pudding is a dessert generally consisting of layers of sweet vanilla flavored custard, cookies (usually Vanilla Wafers or ladyfingers) and sliced fresh bananas placed in a dish and served, topped with whipped cream or meringue.^[1]

It is commonly associated with Southern U.S. cuisine, however, it can be found around the country.^[2] Furthermore, it closely resembles an English Trifle in that it is assembled in layers and includes custard, fruit, sponge cake, and whipped cream.

It can be prepared using a baked or refrigerated method, with the latter being the more popular, particularly among home cooks. Moreover, many recipes have been adapted using vanilla or banana pudding instead of a true custard. Other recipes omit the wafers. An early Banana pudding recipe was published in "The Kentucky Receipt Book," by Mary Harris Frazer, in 1903.^[3] However, even this recipe does not include wafers.

Method of preparation

A typical method for making Banana pudding is to repeatedly layer the bananas, custard and wafers into a dish and top with whipped cream or meringue. Over time, the wafers will absorb the custard and the layers will press together causing the flavors to intermingle.^[4]

Banana pudding festival

The National Banana Pudding Festival is held at the Hickman County Ag Pavilion and Fairgrounds at Grinder's Switch just outside of Centerville, Tennessee. The event features live music concerts and many attractions. People there make all kinds of banana puddings.^[5]

Use in popular culture

North Carolina rock band Southern Culture on the Skids throws banana pudding (possibly pudding mix) during live shows and have a song, "Banana Pudding", on their Plastic Seat Sweat album, dedicated to the dessert itself.

See also

• Banana bread, the quick-bread made with bananas
• Banana custard
• Bánh chuối, Vietnamese sweet banana dishes
• List of banana dishes
• List of custard desserts
• Summer pudding, the British dish made with fruit and bread
• Tipsy cake, the English, liquor flavored cake popular in the American South
• Trifle, the English layered custard, sponge cake, and fruit dessert
• Tiramisu, the Italian dessert made with sponge cake, coffee, custard, and chocolate

References

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