[Sca-cooks] more on bananas

[Decker, Terry D.]

April 10, 1633 to be precise.  This is the bunch of bananas displayed in the
shop of Thomas Johnson, who edited Gerard's Herball.

Without the additional information, the implication is that this is the
start of continuous commercial banana sales in England.  It isn't.  The
first commercial importations were from Madeira in the 19th Century.  They
were an exotic fruit, expensive and not widely consumed.

Even with steamships in the 19th Century, a lot of the bananas which reached
England from South America spoiled in transit.  The English trade in bananas
became commercially viable in the late 19th Century with air conditioned,
steam powered, banana freighters.

Bear

> The April issue of "BBC History Magazine" has in their calender for
> April 10:
> "1633: The first bananas imported to England go on sale."
>
> So, this may force myself, and maybe Bear, to modify our comments on
> bananas not being eaten in England until the use of steamships in the
> 19th century.
>
> --
> THLord  Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra