It’s National Banana Bread Day! Banana bread is a delicious baked good, which is classified as a “quick bread” or “tea cake.” Bananas arrived in the United States in the 1870s and quickly became one of the most popular fruits on the market. It wasn’t long before they started to appear in dessert recipes as the star ingredient.

The first cookbooks that mentioned banana bread were published during the Great Depression. Culinary historians believe that a resourceful housewife who did not want to throw away over-ripe bananas may have invented the original recipe.

Today there are many variations on this classic. To celebrate National Banana Bread Day, bake yourself a delicious loaf with unusual add-ins like chocolate chips, berries, or nuts!