Banania facts for kids
Banania is a popular chocolate drink. It is mostly sold in France. This tasty drink is made from cocoa, banana flour, cereals, honey, and sugar. In French supermarkets, you can find two kinds of Banania. One is 'traditional', which you need to cook with milk for about 10 minutes. The other is 'instant', which you can prepare quickly, much like Nesquik.
The Story of Banania
How Banania Began
The story of Banania started in 1909. A journalist named Pierre Lardet was visiting Lake Managua in Nicaragua. There, he found a special recipe for a drink made with cocoa. When he went back to Paris, he started making this drink to sell. In 1912, he began selling Banania. The first picture on the packaging was of a woman from the Antilles.
The Famous Character
Around 1915, during World War I, the picture on Banania changed. People really liked the soldiers from the colonies at that time. So, the woman was replaced by a happy Senegalese infantry man. This character is now very famous. Pierre Lardet even gave Banania to the army. He said it was "abundant nourishment that stores while taking up the least space possible" for the soldiers.
The bright yellow color of the Banania brand shows the banana ingredient. The soldier's red and blue uniform makes up the other main colors. The slogan Y'a bon (which means "It's good") was used. It was meant to sound like the simple French spoken by these soldiers.
Over time, the soldier character has changed. He now looks more like a cartoon character. But the original advertisements are still very popular in France. You can even find posters and metal signs that look like the old ads.
Banania Today
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Banania helped sponsor the Yellow Jersey in the Tour de France bicycle race. This is a special jersey worn by the leader of the race. Today, a French company called Nutrial owns the Banania brand. They bought it from Unilever in 2003.
See also
- List of chocolate beverages
