Bananas Were an Exotic Luxury Fruit Until the 20th Century

Today's ubiquitous banana was an exotic luxury in the Western world until the early 20th century. Before refrigerated shipping was developed, bananas had to travel from tropical growing regions to temperate markets within days before spoiling, making them extremely expensive and rare. In the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, bananas were sold individually wrapped in foil for 10 cents each - equivalent to about $2.50 today. They were often displayed in glass cases like precious jewelry. When people did eat them, they used forks and knives, as eating with hands was considered uncivilized. The fruit was so exotic that many people didn't know how to eat them properly, sometimes eating the peel. The development of refrigerated 'banana boats' and controlled ripening techniques in the early 1900s transformed bananas from luxury items to everyday fruit.