Bananko - Chocolate Banana Candy Bar Review
Popular Snacks from Croatia
I love a mixture of bananas & chocolate, and Banako definitely delivers that combination. Banako is a popular snack from Croatia, and it has been on the market since 1991. A thin chocolate layer coats the banana-flavored ‘foam’ inside. As soon as you open the package you are hit with an intense banana scent. At that moment you are either really excited or really disgusted by Bananko! The scent is quintessential artificial banana – reminiscent of a Runt or those little banana-shaped hard candies.
The chocolate on the outside is not bad. Since you probably hold the bar in your hand, the good news is that it doesn’t melt quickly. Inside is the banana-flavored ‘foam’. The foam has a unique texture that I had never experienced before: like a marshmallow, but denser and much firmer. Honestly, it does feel like foam. There is a grainy-ness around the edges that gives a strange mouth-feel. I assume it is the sugar in the foam starting to crystalize. The banana flavor is pretty strong, and it will linger. Bananko received great reviews from the kids I know, but adults rated it much more harshly.
Main takeaway: if you like banana-flavored candies, you’ll like Bananko. If not, it will probably be a let down.
Note: Bananko treats are halal certified. I'm not sure if production for all markets are, so double check before ordering.
History of Bananko & the Kraš Company in Croatia
2021 marks the 30th anniversary of Bananko! This sweet treat hit shelves in 1991 and is one of the most popular packaged snacks in Croatia. The Kraš company was formed in 1950, after the merger of UNION & a few smaller confectionary companies. UNION started back in 1911 as a chocolate producing company, and the Kraš packaging still highlights 1911 as the founding date. The company is actually named after Josip Kraš, a nationally renowned Communist political advocate in what was then Yugoslavia. He died in 1941, but his legacy lives on through the company!
Throwback Bananko TV commercial!
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