Dole Food Co. is closely monitoring the growing influence of social media in transforming familiar produce into cultural phenomena, according to Bill Goldfield, the company’s director of corporate communications. “Social platforms no longer just reflect food culture; they actively create it—through hacks, recipes, preparation methods, and highly visual moments that can elevate any produce item from an everyday staple or niche exotic to a must-try sensation almost overnight.”

Take bananas, for example. Banana flavour is experiencing one of its strongest cultural moments in years, popping up virally in foods like banana lattes, puddings, and cold foams, as well as in beauty products such as cosmetics, lotions, and soaps.

Goldfield notes that not every banana-flavoured product directly increases fresh banana sales. However, the broader conversation around the fruit renews its relevance and gives retailers and brands like Dole new opportunities to inspire consumers to try, use, and discover bananas.

Bananas remain appealing because of their portability and everyday value, while organic fruit, plantains, speciality bananas, and unique pineapple varieties can generate additional interest across the category.

In addition to amplifying banana trends through traditional and new media, Dole is creating timely social media content, especially short-form Reels, that shows consumers how to make DIY versions of trending banana coffees, meals, and treats. The company also shares its unique interpretations of popular recipes, hacks, videos, and cultural moments circulating on social media.

The current banana craze seems particularly well-timed for 2026, as the fruit embodies several powerful cultural currents, Goldfield says. Consumers are seeking familiar, comforting flavours during uncertain times, yet they also crave novelty, affordable indulgence, and shareable experiences. Bananas fulfil all these desires.

“They carry a common frame of reference—the nostalgia of lunchboxes, smoothies, and banana bread—while feeling entirely new when incorporated into matcha, cold foam, espresso drinks, and globally inspired creations,” Goldfield explains.

As a flavour or scent, bananas exemplify purity derived from a single source, with a complexity that is challenging to replicate artificially. The scent is both familiar and sweet, offering an airy freshness that evokes fun and whimsy.