I had some overripe bananas so made a batch tonight and started wondering how banana bread started. I had a notion of British colonists in tropical regions. The depression connection makes sense (but the leavening issue raises more questions for me as to how people did biscuits and such before!) although I wonder who was the first. As for chocolate chips, I am totally opposed to chocolate chips in banana bread, raisin cookies, muffins--basically, in anything but ice cream or actual chocolate chip cookies. So I make one loaf with chips for my son and one with walnuts for myself.

• Reply