The banana split is claimed as an invention by at least two communities
The banana split is a sundae with at least one banana, numerous scoops of ice cream, a variety of toppings, whipped cream, and additional toppings like nuts, sprinkles, crumbled cookies, and of course, maraschino cherries. It is a dishful of conspicuous excess. Such a culinary extravaganza, with all of its calories almost completely devoid of nutrients, could only be an American invention. And so it stands. However, it should come as no surprise that there is disagreement among American groups about who deserves credit for creating the meal. One of these is Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the hometown of Mr. Rogers, Rolling Rock Beer, and Arnold Palmer.
The banana split, according to Latrobe, was created in 1904 while "Doc" Strickler was a pharmacist at Tassell's Pharmacy. The claim's proponents offer plenty of "evidence," including the availability of receipts for meals made to fit the sundae's unique size, but no real sightings of the receipts have been reported. In particular, Wilmington, Ohio, a small college town that asserts to have split the banana first in 1907, is the target of Latrobe's defense of its claims. According to their version of events, local businessman Ernest R. Hazard created the banana split, allegedly in an effort to win over more Wilmington College students to his establishment's establishment.
The banana split is credited with being invented in Chicago (Walgreens), Boston (Butler Department Store), Columbus, Ohio, Davenport, Iowa, and even New Orleans. But Latrobe and Wilmington appear to be the main parties at odds. At least they concur that a banana split must be made by slicing the fruit in half lengthwise and sandwiching the ice cream between the halves. If the banana is cut in half crosswise, the result is merely a banana royale rather than a banana split.
