When will National Bananas Foster Day be celebrated? April 6th of each calendar year.
What is National Bananas Foster Day? Bananas Foster is a much-loved and internationally acclaimed dessert. In 1951, the proprietor of Brennan’s New Orleans, Owen Brennan (current oproprietor Ralph Brennan’s grandfather) challenged Chef de Cuisine Paul Blangé to develop a dish featuring bananas, abundant in the city’s markets. Owen’s sister Ella then took charge as the team was rushed to create a special dessert for Richard Foster, a friend of Owen Brennan and the chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission, on which Brennan served. Ella had memories of her mother brûléeing bananas for breakfast, drawing upon this, she added in rum to make a tableside flaming masterpiece, and topped it off with vanilla ice-cream. Bananas Foster was born! Ella, Blangé, and a dining room captain prepared the now-popular household recipe,
Eight decades later, the smell of caramelizing brown sugar and butter still permeates Brennan’s dining room as Bananas Foster is flamed tableside. The bubbling melted sugar and butter are topped with freshly sliced bananas, and as the sauce thickens, shots of rum and banana liqueur are added for a quick flambé. The dramatic dessert beckons nearby tables to watch the artful preparation and photograph and film the tall orange and blue flames dancing throughout the dining room.
Bananas Foster was first served at Brennan’s Vieux Carré on Bourbon Street [the original restaurant location] and the tradition continues today at Brennan’s on Royal Street and in restaurants, bakeries, and food outlets around the world.
How should National Bananas Foster Day be celebrated or observed? Restaurants worldwide will feature Bananas Foster and various interpretations of it (Bananas Foster croissants, muffins, cakes, etc.) on their menus. Guests and fans will post photos and videos of their dining experiences with the delectable dish online. Brennan’s New Orleans will create a day-long celebration in honor of its most famous dish which will include teaching our guests how to make it.
Why was National Bananas Foster Day created? The original Bananas Foster was created at Brennan’s Restaurant in the New Orleans French Quarter in the early 1950s and has since become a beloved global flavor and dessert. The smell of caramelizing brown sugar and butter permeates the dining room at Brennan’s before being topped with freshly sliced bananas, and a shot of rum and banana liqueur for a quick flambé. Bananas Foster is internationally known and loved. The celebrated dessert is the sweet ending to countless meals across the globe where friends and family come together, and lifelong memories are made.
Who created this day? This day was created by Brennan’s Restaurant in 2024.