Banania facts for kids
Banania is a famous chocolate powder used to make hot or cold drinks. It's especially popular in France. The powder is a mix of cocoa, banana flour, ground-up cereals, honey, and sugar.
You can find two main kinds of Banania in French stores. The 'traditional' kind needs to be cooked with milk for about 10 minutes. The 'instant' version is much quicker and can be mixed right into milk, similar to other drink mixes like Nesquik.
Contents
History of Banania
Where Did Banania Come From?
The story of Banania begins in 1909 with a French journalist named Pierre Lardet. While visiting Lake Managua in Nicaragua, he learned about a tasty drink made with cocoa and banana.
When he got back to Paris, he decided to start making and selling it. In 1912, he officially launched the brand. At first, the logo on the package was a woman from the Antilles, a group of islands in the Caribbean.
The Famous Logo
When World War I started, many soldiers from French colonies in Africa, like Senegal, fought for France. These soldiers were called the Senegalese infantry. To show support, the company changed its logo in 1915. The new logo featured a smiling Senegalese soldier enjoying the drink.
Pierre Lardet even sent the drink to the French army. He advertised it as "pour nos soldats la nourriture abondante qui se conserve sous le moindre volume possible". This means "for our soldiers: plenty of food that can be stored in the smallest possible space." This made it a perfect food for soldiers on the move.
The brand's design uses specific colors for a reason. The yellow background represents the banana in the recipe. The soldier's uniform is red and blue, which are also the colors of the French flag.
The original slogan was Y'a bon, which means "It's good." This phrase was meant to sound like the simple French spoken by the soldiers, but it was an invented stereotype. Over the years, the character on the box has changed to look more like a cartoon. Even so, the old advertisements are now considered classic icons in France, and many people still buy posters and signs with the original design.
Banania in Modern Times
In the 1970s and 1980s, Banania was a major sponsor of the famous Tour de France bicycle race. The brand's logo appeared on the Yellow Jersey, which is worn by the race leader.
The Banania brand has been owned by a few different companies. In 2003, the French company Nutrial bought it from Unilever, a large international company.
See also
- Aunt Jemima
- Uncle Ben's
- List of chocolate beverages
