Bye-bye banana

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Discussion

Halb

Original Poster:

53,012 posts

189 months

Thursday 28th January 2016
quotequote all
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35131751

I wanna taste that one from the 50s now.

mcflurry

9,132 posts

259 months

Thursday 28th January 2016
quotequote all
Halb said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35131751

I wanna taste that one from the 50s now.
AFAIK many banana flavours are based on the Big Mike, rather than the Cavendish such as (IIRC) the McDonald's milkshake smile


Some Gump

12,857 posts

192 months

Thursday 28th January 2016
quotequote all
I seem to remember that Nerds banana flavour was based on the Gros something, which was the "de facto" banana back when we had no bananas. I think it explains why some sweets / Nesquick taste northing like proper bananas, but are banana flavoured (and all the same).

Halb

Original Poster:

53,012 posts

189 months

Thursday 28th January 2016
quotequote all
That's interesting. I sometimes wonder why banana flavoured stuff doesn't really taste like banana but is it's own thing. But then I think that about strawberry flavour as well. biggrin

Simpo Two

86,911 posts

271 months

Thursday 28th January 2016
quotequote all
It may be the price paid for a monoculture. If there were many banana varieties, like apples, then damage would be limited.


Time for some genetic engineering perhaps.

2fast748

1,137 posts

201 months

Thursday 28th January 2016
quotequote all
mcflurry said:
AFAIK many banana flavours are based on the Big Mike, rather than the Cavendish such as (IIRC) the McDonald's milkshake smile
Halb said:
That's interesting. I sometimes wonder why banana flavoured stuff doesn't really taste like banana but is it's own thing. But then I think that about strawberry flavour as well. biggrin
In my experience McDonald's strawberry milkshakes taste like banana!

And no strawberry tastes like anything strawberry flavoured.

Nimby

4,888 posts

156 months

Friday 29th January 2016
quotequote all
Some Gump said:
I seem to remember that Nerds banana flavour was based on the Gros something, which was the "de facto" banana back when we had no bananas. I think it explains why some sweets / Nesquick taste northing like proper bananas, but are banana flavoured (and all the same).
Something labelled "banana flavoured" has to contain real banana, but something labelled "banana flavour" need only contain the simple ester amyl acetate.

Simpo Two

86,911 posts

271 months

Friday 29th January 2016
quotequote all
Nimby said:
Something labelled "banana flavoured" has to contain real banana, but something labelled "banana flavour" need only contain the simple ester amyl acetate.
I thought amyl acetate was pear drops?

IIRC most fruit flavours/smells are from esters; the corridor outside the organic chemistry lab always smelled vaguely of apples...

Nimby

4,888 posts

156 months

Friday 29th January 2016
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
I thought amyl acetate was pear drops?

IIRC most fruit flavours/smells are from esters; the corridor outside the organic chemistry lab always smelled vaguely of apples...
It's described as smelling like banana or pear - possibly depending on concentration and whether the carbon chain is branched or straight. Most esters smell fruity but ISTR some can be quite medicinal like "Deep Heat" or "Vick".

edit: Should have checked: list here

Edited by Nimby on Friday 29th January 13:31

stew-S160

8,006 posts

244 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
Anyone know what Bananaman tastes like?


Simpo Two

86,911 posts

271 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
Nimby said:
edit: Should have checked: list here
Aha, pear drops is ISOamyl acetate. Seems to be C5 as opposed to C7. Ta!

xjay1337

15,966 posts

124 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
2fast748 said:
And no strawberry tastes like anything strawberry flavoured.
Aside from strawberry fruit corner!

Some Gump

12,857 posts

192 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Aha, pear drops is ISOamyl acetate. Seems to be C5 as opposed to C7. Ta!
My chemistry tuto used to have a wall poster which showed the various fruit flavours. It's long ago enough that I can't remember the details, but pear drops, banana, menthol, eucalyptus pineapple and something else were all side by side and either isomers of similar gear, or chiral pairs. Sadly, Google can't show me the poster frown

MrCarPark

528 posts

147 months

Wednesday 3rd February 2016
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mcflurry

9,132 posts

259 months

Wednesday 3rd February 2016
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2fast748 said:
And no strawberry tastes like anything strawberry flavoured.
Apparently, Strawberry flavour has 59 ingredients, not including strawberries.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/apr/24/food.f...
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/59-ingredient...
http://www.unbelievable-facts.com/2014/09/fast-foo...



Ayahuasca

27,428 posts

285 months

Thursday 11th February 2016
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Once while trekking through some rain-forest I found a 'wild' banana plant (must have been from a long abandoned banana plantation). I peeled one and bit into it. It was inedible - full of massive huge seeds. Give me artificial ones any day.


Beati Dogu

9,163 posts

145 months

Sunday 14th February 2016
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They have some different banana varieties in the Eden Project in Cornwall. It's most odd seeing purple bananas.

Apparently monkeys open bananas a different way to most of us. We usually pull back on the stalk to start peeling them open. Monkeys hold them by the stalk, pinch the tip in their fingers, then peel them from there.

I've tried this and I think the human way is best.



Edited by Beati Dogu on Sunday 14th February 19:58