The Latest Coffee Craze? Banana Coffee

By Adrienne Mitchel / California

From cracking lattes to Einspanners, there’s no shortage of viral trending coffee drinks. But according to Yelp Trend Tracker, the standout coffee trend this summer has been banana coffee. 

In June, Yelp saw a 6,267% increase in searches for banana bread latte compared to June 2024, as well as a 1,573% increase in searches for banana latte, a 600% increase for banana cold foam and a 348% increase in banana coffee.

“Coffee is going bananas, literally,” according to Yelp Trend Tracker. “Banana milk, a longtime Korean pantry staple, is inspiring a wave of banana-flavored drinks showing up on cafe menus.”

The Food Institute reports the rise in banana coffee popularity in the U.S. can be traced to South Korea. While chocolate and strawberry are popular flavors of milk in the U.S., banana is the overwhelming favorite in Korea. It all started in the 1970s, when the federal government asked company Binggrae to create banana-flavored milk in an effort to encourage citizens to drink more milk. Bananas were considered an exotic fruit, and Biggrae’s banana milk became exceedingly popular.

Banana milk became the third best-selling flavored milk product on Amazon in June 2024, in part due to K-pop star Jung Kook drinking it, according to The Food Institute. 

Elsewhere, boba tea franchise It’s Boba Time introduced a line of cream-topped lattes in June, including a banana version made with fresh bananas. While not all 94 locations offer this specialty beverage, “it’s been a corporate initiative for them to get it through every single store,” said Danielle Perea, a PR representative for the company.

It’s Boba Time, founded in Koreatown, Los Angeles, in 2003, is often inspired by Asian and Korean trends, Perea said. For example, the company has offered sweet corn lattes and Dubai chocolate frappes.

See the full article HERE.