Elvis Loved This Old-School Southern Dessert

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Elvis Presley is a legendary crooner whose passion for music was rivaled by his king-sized appetite. When it comes to the foods most beloved by Presley, meatloaf, biscuits, and of course, fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches all rank pretty high among his preferred eats. Presley was also said to have an unbridled love of Southern banana pudding, a layered dessert featuring vanilla-flavored pudding, banana slices, and vanilla wafers, with a baked meringue topping. Presley was so enamored with the dessert that it appeared in multiple cookbooks devoted to his favorite recipes, including "Fit For A King: The Elvis Presley Cookbook" and "The Presley Family Cookbook". 

As for how the dish comes together, the pudding is a from-scratch affair — that means no boxed pudding is used. Cornstarch is added to thicken the mixture, and homemade meringue tops off the layers. The cookbook, "Elvis' Greatest Hits...recipes & More From Graceland," features a cornstarch-free recipe for Original Banana Pudding, as well as a claim that Presley asked cooks at Graceland to prepare the dessert on a daily basis, further illustrating the iconic singer's love of this sweet treat.

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Banana pudding is not an exclusively Southern culinary invention. In fact, banana pudding recipes circulated nationwide in the late 1800s, a time when bananas were considered exotic and trendy. The dessert has obvious associations with English trifle, which typically consists of custard, yellow cake (or ladyfinger cookies), whipped cream, and fresh fruit (strawberries are a common selection). It's possible that the trifle concept was imported to the U.S. and updated by American dessert enthusiasts looking to add tropical flair to a British classic.

It wasn't until the early 1930s that banana pudding was given a Southern signifier, and while the dessert became synonymous with the region over the years, it's not clear why it gained this reputation. Presley was from the South, yet his original connection to the dish is also certain. What is known is that Presley had an insatiable sweet tooth, and banana pudding offers an overload of rich, sweet flavors. As such, it's easy to see why it became a regular in Presley's recipe rotation. Banana pudding is still a perfect dessert for fans of multi-layered decadence, and it's also a wonderful way to upgrade your morning waffles.