What's in a Banana Split?

A few years back I was surprised to find out that not all Banana Splits were the same. I thought that they were all a Banana split with 3 scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream and topped with pineapple, chocolate, and strawberry topping. Then I find out that some places change the ice cream flavors and others change the toppings. So, What do you think is a proper Banana Split?
 
CNW

I always thought that the traditional Banana Split was made with a split banana and scoops of Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry ice cream....  The toppings were chocolate (on the vanilla), pineapple (on the strawberry) and strawberry / cherry (on the chocolate).....  Then dollups of whipped cream were placed over all and chopped nuts and marachino cherries finished it off....  However, when Tastee Freeze and the like started up, I think that they used those toppings on three 'blurps' of vanilla...... 
Now, I believe that it is "anything goes"..... 

mamaduck43


I always thought that the traditional Banana Split was made with a split banana and scoops of Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry ice cream....  The toppings were chocolate (on the vanilla), pineapple (on the strawberry) and strawberry / cherry (on the chocolate).....  Then dollups of whipped cream were placed over all and chopped nuts and marachino cherries finished it off.... 

This.

My first job was at Baskin-Robbins and there you could order a split with any combination you wanted.
However, the standard banana split (and the way it was always depicted in ads) was made with: the split banana of course, one scoop of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream with chocolate topping on the vanilla, pineapple on the strawberry and marshmallow fluff/topping on the chocolate. And it was garnished with whipped cream, chopped nuts and cherries.

I believe mamaduck43 is dead on with her description of the original - now it's probably still a spit banana, and up to the customers to choose from whatever ice cream flavors (still 3 scoops?) and toppings are available to them. 
 

hot fudge on the vanilla, strawberries on the chocolate, pineapple on the strawberry, split banana, covered with whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry on each scoop was the norm in central ny while I grew up.

At my store it's your choice, you don't even have to have the banana if you don't want to.
24 flavours plus soft vanilla and chocolate, 15 different toppings.
Pick 3 ice cream flavours and up  to 6 toppings add whip cream and Bobs your uncle.
 
I forgot you also have to give me 5 bucks.

I'm an all vanilla split sort of person.

However, if I was just having a sundae a scoop of chocolate ice cream covered with crushed pineapple is my choice every time if offered.

I didn't often get banana splits as they cost 30 cents and a regular sundae cost just a quarter (banana royales cost 35 cents because instead of just splitting the banana they had to slice it). But I remember the splits as having chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream, and hot fudge, strawberry and butterscotch toppings, along with whipped cream and maraschino cherries -- I never got nuts on my sundaes.

enginecapt

mamaduck43


I always thought that the traditional Banana Split was made with a split banana and scoops of Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry ice cream....  The toppings were chocolate (on the vanilla), pineapple (on the strawberry) and strawberry / cherry (on the chocolate).....  Then dollups of whipped cream were placed over all and chopped nuts and marachino cherries finished it off.... 

This.

YEP---------NUFF SAID-----------RUSS

In my area of the South, it was split banana, scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry ice cream, then toppings spread over all the scoops - wet nuts, chocolate syrup, crushed pineapple sauce, the whipped cream on top of all this and a cherry on top. Don't ever remember strawberry topping or marshmallow fluff in this mix.

I like the places that allow you to 'create' your own combination. I acknowledge the traditional, but if I can I will do this...

Long banana boat 'dish', Split the banana in the bottom. Use 'hard ice cream, not soft serve... One scoop of English Toffee/Butter-Brickle, One Scoop of A chocolate flavor, mayber Rocky Road... and One Scoop of Peppermint Stick. Toppings would be Hot Fudge on the Peppermint Stick, Marshmallow on the Chocolate/RockyRoad, and one scoop of Carmel/Butterscotch on the English Toffee.  Now dump on the bowl of Whipped Creme and a couple of red cherries (no additional nuts please) and I will be ready to enjoy my creation.

Since this is just a fantasy description, let me have a Butterscotch Boston Shake on the side.  That's a large Butterscotch shake (made with Hard ice Cream, with a soft-serve butterscotch-topped sundae floating in it.

Yep then it will be nap-time.

Interesting.  I've never had one.  By the time I could afford one, I didn't want one! 

When I was in high school (yes, they actually had them that far back) Life Magazine ran a spread about the fad sweeping the country for huge, and I mean huge, sundaes. Shortly after the magazine came out the fad reached New Haven. One place on Whalley Avenue went with it, and began offering 15-scoop sundaes loaded with toppings for two bucks each. If you could eat one you got another one free, and if you ate all of the second one you got another.
 
I am proud to say that everyone on the football team got at least one free monster sundae one night, and Hubie Salisbury and I each got two free sundaes.
 
That was the end of the monster sundaes there.

MaMaDuck's explanation was how I was taught when I worked for Baskin Robbins as a teenager many, MANY moons ago.  The only differences I had was we used chopped almonds and there was no whipped cream.  Baskin Robbins did not use whipped cream back then and you were taught to say chopped "almonds" instead of chopped "nuts" as almonds were more expensive.

What is that great looking ice cream concoction, Spade?

"That's the stuff that dreams are made of." From that great
movie Willie Wonka and the Banana Split factory.