A Information to Banana Varieties Across the World

The extra you consider bananas, the stranger an idea they appear: Nearly all bananas are grown in tropical climates, but they really feel as a lot a staple in North American grocery shops as our native apples. However not like apples, there’s just one number of banana accessible to most individuals in the US: the Cavendish, a slender, barely curved banana with a cheerful shade of yellow.

All over the world, nonetheless, there are literally thousands of different banana varieties—they only aren’t available exterior of their native rising areas. Under, we’ll check out a few of these cultivars, together with ones that you will discover within the U.S. (if you realize the place to look!) and others that it’s best to add to your checklist should you ever end up someplace tropical. Belief me, they’re price looking for out.

What Precisely Are Bananas, Anyway?

Botanically talking, bananas are berries. A single banana develops from one pollinated flower containing one ovary, and the mature fruit incorporates three distinct components: an outer pores and skin, a fleshy center, and an innermost layer containing a number of seeds. Banana vegetation belong to the organic genus Musa, which incorporates 83 flowering vegetation, together with bananas and plantains. Banana “bushes” are technically not bushes; moderately, they’re herbaceous vegetation that may develop as much as 40 ft tall. As a substitute of a tree’s signature trunk or woody stem, banana vegetation’ stems are composed of a number of particular person leaf stalks.

Bananas are indigenous to tropical parts of India, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia, although this vary particularly speaks to Musa acuminata—the Dwarf Cavendish—which is the trendy banana’s wild ancestor. Scientists concur that the domesticated bananas we’re aware of in the present day first originated in Papua New Guinea roughly 7,000 years in the past. Individuals introduced bananas with them on their travels, and, over the course of a number of centuries, unfold the fruit throughout the globe. Sailors launched bananas to Africa for commerce, and in flip European colonizers imported the fruit to the Americas. Right now, bananas develop in Central and South America, Africa, and their native Indomalaya and Australia.

A Temporary Historical past of Banana Consumption within the U.S.

People have been importing bananas since 1870, when the American businessman Lorenzo Dow Baker loaded 160 bunches of bananas from Jamaica onto his ship. After cashing within the fruit in Boston for $6,400—which, adjusted for inflation, is greater than $150,000 in the present day—Baker shortly fashioned the Boston Fruit Firm. Recognizing that bananas could possibly be picked whereas agency, saved in a cool and dry cargo maintain throughout transit, and be completely ripe by the point they arrived at American ports, Boston Fruit Firm created the banana commerce’s enterprise mannequin that’s nonetheless in use in the present day. This, mixed with shoppers’ willingness to pay $2 (roughly $50 in the present day) per bunch of bananas, proved that bananas meant massive enterprise. 

To ascertain a nationwide presence, northeast-based Boston Fruit Firm merged with southeast-dominant Tropical Buying and selling and Transport Firm in 1899, forming United Fruit Company. United Fruit Firm additional entrenched Boston Fruit Firm’s vertically-integrated enterprise mannequin, and matched it with the sturdy Central American rail community constructed by and inherited from Tropical Buying and selling and Transport Firm based mostly in New Orleans. Doing so firmly established the lasting infrastructure essential to develop, decide, transport, market, and promote the banana as an on a regular basis commodity in the US.

By aggressive advertising and marketing and campaigning stateside, fruit firms had been capable of cement the banana as an inexpensive American staple, and the fruit has since change into a go-to snack and customary baking ingredient in lots of households. Right now, bananas are deeply ingrained in our on a regular basis lives, a lot in order that bananas are constantly the preferred recent fruit bought in the US.

Editor’s Notice: Whereas a deep-dive on the usually fraught trade of bananas is past the scope of this text, we advocate studying Dan Koeppel’s glorious e book Bananas: The Destiny of the Fruit That Modified the World for an in-depth take a look at the usually insidious function of colonization and globalization in popularizing the fruit.)

How the Banana Trade Led Us to a Singular Banana Selection

As an increasing number of People anticipated consistency and comfort at their fingertips, the fruit trade realized it could must standardize the bananas accessible for buy. Candy, creamy, and barely floral, the Gros Michel banana—the precursor to the Cavendish—was the proper cultivar. Past its distinctive taste, the Gros Michel’s means to face up to lengthy ocean voyages with out being simply bruised or broken additionally made it a superb candidate for worldwide commerce. 

As a result of the Gros Michel is a sterile number of banana that nearly lacks seeds, cultivating the banana requires cloning it by means of asexual propagation. Whereas this creates a superbly constant product, it additionally produces genetically similar fruit. In brief: a menace to at least one Gros Michel banana tree is a menace to each Gros Michel banana tree, which, on this case, would endanger your entire banana trade. Hazard shortly offered itself within the type of Fusarium wilt, or “Panama Illness,” a soil-borne fungus.

Within the Nineties, Panama Illness advanced to assault the Gros Michel in Panama, and shortly posed a menace to the remainder of the crop. As soon as contaminated, a banana plant’s leaves start to yellow, wilt, and crumple—starting with mature leaves and finally affecting newer development—till the entire plant dies. A collection of epidemics decimated the industrial Gros Michel plantations throughout Central and South America, and by the Nineteen Fifties, it was not possible to develop the variability on the identical scale. Panama Illness would have ended the sale of handy, tasty, inexpensive bananas People had grown accustomed to had United Fruit Firm not shortly pivoted.

As a substitute of fixing the problem at hand by altering their farming practices, United Fruit Firm merely picked an identical banana—the Cavendish—to quietly substitute the Gros Michel. Right now, the Cavendish is asexually cloned in the very same method the Gros Michel was. Similar to its predecessor, the Cavendish’s lack of genetic range places it vulnerable to, as soon as once more, disappearing from the mass market by the hands of Panama Disease. 

In our pursuit for the one good banana, now we have severely restricted our understanding of this flavorful, numerous, and plentiful fruit—and have disadvantaged ourselves of one thing elementary to the enjoyment of cooking: selection. Simply as different potatoes are higher suited to completely different functions—waxy for potato salad, starchy for mashed spuds—there are banana cultivars which can be higher fitted to particular makes use of. Learn on for a take a look at just some varieties. If you wish to strive these however aren’t of their rising space, a lot of them might be bought on-line at Miami Fruit, Melissa’s, and Fruit Hunters.

Banana Varieties Right now

Gros Michel Banana

Colour: Yellow peel, creamy flesh
Taste: Candy, strongly floral
Texture: Densely creamy
Finest Makes use of: Banana pudding, bananas Foster, eaten uncooked

The primary banana America fell in love with, the Gros Michel is usually known as “Huge Mike,” which is the English translation for this selection’s French title. As its title suggests, the Gros Michel banana can develop to be fairly giant and thick. With their firmer texture and barely sweeter and floral style, Gros Michel bananas are a really perfect dessert banana that basically shines in each dishes that want a banana punch with the depth of banana Runts sweet or that require the banana be cooked. Though gone from the mass market, Gros Michel bananas can nonetheless be bought from online retailers who develop them on a a lot smaller scale.

Gros Michel bananas might be ordered on-line at Miami Fruit.

Cavendish Banana

Colour: Yellow peel, white flesh
Taste: Barely candy
Texture: Evenly creamy
Finest Makes use of: Eaten uncooked, banana splits, banana pudding, or banana bread

The Cavendish, which is the banana most individuals are aware of in the US, accounts for 47% of all global production—considerably greater than another selection—and features because the spine of the banana enterprise in the present day. It’s no shock why: Its candy, well-rounded, and mildly fruity taste make it a straightforward snack and versatile ingredient. Because it isn’t the densest banana on the market, the Cavendish is a superb alternative for consuming uncooked or incorporating into desserts like banana bread.

Nam Wah Banana

Colour: Blackened, yellow peel, creamy flesh
Taste: Candy vanilla
Texture: Dense and creamy, nearly silky
Finest Makes use of: Eaten uncooked, smoothies, uncooked banana desserts

In contrast to different banana varieties, Nam Wah bananas are ripe solely as soon as their peels have nearly blackened completely. Their flesh, nonetheless, will stay a light-weight, creamy colour. Nam Wah bananas are beloved for his or her exceptionally candy taste that’s paying homage to vanilla. Mixed with their silky clean texture, these bananas are a scrumptious deal with eaten on their very own, however would additionally make a superb alternative for desserts like banana pudding or banana splits. 

Nam Wah bananas might be ordered on-line at Fruit Hunters.

Mysore Banana

Colour: Golden yellow peel, creamy flesh
Taste: Very candy
Texture: Very creamy
Finest Makes use of: Eaten uncooked, smoothies, frozen and dipped in chocolate

Also referred to as Pisang Keling bananas, Mysore bananas are characterised by their skinny skins that seem nearly golden when ripe, in addition to their small stature. Attributable to their candy-like sweetness, Mysore bananas are a favourite amongst those that’ve tried them. Given their measurement and taste, these bananas could be glorious for dipping in chocolate and freezing as a candy snack. 

Once they’re in season, Mysore bananas might be ordered from Miami Fruit.

Pisang Raja Banana

Colour: Yellow-orange peel, yellow flesh
Taste: Candy and barely citrusy
Texture: Extremely clean
Finest Makes use of: Eaten uncooked, banana splits

The Pisang Raja banana is thought for its practically starch-free texture as soon as it ripens. This attribute makes its flesh one of many creamiest bananas folks should buy. Pisang Raja bananas’ slight citrusy notice would make it a superb addition to fruit salads, and even sliced and added as a pancake topping for a creamy, advanced notice.

The Pisang Raja banana might be ordered on-line from Miami Fruit.

Girl Finger Banana

Colour: Gentle yellow peel, pale flesh
Taste: Candy, honey-like style
Texture: Creamy
Finest Makes use of: Left uncooked and utilized in desserts like banana splits or banana pudding

Also referred to as sugar bananas, Girl Finger bananas are smaller and barely sweeter than the acquainted Cavendish. They’re native to Southeast Asia and are generally present in grocery shops inside the Asia-Pacific area. Curiously, Girl Finger bananas are proof against browning as soon as minimize. Girl Finger bananas’ means to remain visually interesting, together with their honey-like taste, makes them an important alternative for raw banana desserts and fruit salads.

Señorita Banana

Colour: Gentle yellow peel, pale flesh
Taste: Tremendous candy
Texture: Extremely tender
Finest Makes use of: Eaten uncooked or mashed and utilized in banana bread or banana cream pie

The Señorita banana, additionally known as the Monkoy or Arnibal banana, is native to the Philippines. They’re famend for his or her tremendous candy taste and extremely creamy texture. Though prized and scrumptious, Señorita bananas are usually too fragile to move and are additionally weak to quite a lot of pathogens, which prevents their large-scale cultivation. They’re usually discovered sparsely in rural areas, although some smaller retailers do harvest and offer them for sale in the Philippines. 

Their absence on the mass market actually doesn’t cease Filipinos and vacationers from having fun with them, although. Attributable to their fragility and shortage, they’re usually eaten uncooked however will surely make a welcome addition to candy banana desserts that totally combine the fruit, like banana bread or banana cream pie. Higher but, switching out the normal Saba banana and accounting for the Señorita banana’s delicate texture might yield a particularly creamy adaptation of turon, a fried banana roll dessert native to the Philippines.

Pink Bananas

Colour: Pink peel, pale to pinkish flesh
Taste: Candy
Texture: Creamy
Finest Makes use of: Eaten uncooked, cooked and added to savory dishes

Pink bananas aren’t any stranger to the US and are typically accessible at main supermarkets like Kroger and Walmart, and sometimes discovered on the market by means of specialty online fruit suppliers, however they actually deserve some extra love and a spotlight. Along with being barely sweeter than the already acquainted Cavendish, crimson bananas are additionally denser and have firmer flesh, which makes them a great candidate for cooked dishes. In Thailand, for instance, cooks continuously incorporate crimson bananas into curries so as to add sweetness and stability different flavors within the dish. Being sweeter and barely creamier than the Cavendish, crimson bananas are additionally a great candidate for bananas Foster, a dish of flambéed bananas and vanilla ice cream.

Blue Java Banana

Colour: Gentle yellow peel, pale flesh
Taste: Barely tart
Texture: Mushy serve ice cream
Finest Makes use of: Smoothies, mashed and utilized in banana bread

Blue Java bananas are typically known as “ice cream bananas,” however are neither blue nor style like ice cream. Whereas these bananas do have a blue tint to their pores and skin when underripe, they brighten as much as a pale yellow when totally ripened. The ice cream misnomer is probably going on account of their extremely clean, custard-like texture. Whereas web lore additionally claims these misunderstood bananas style like vanilla, based on uncommon fruit vendor Miami Fruit, this selection really tastes barely tart. Blue Java bananas, that are native to Southeast Asia, could be a welcome addition to smoothies or simply loved on their very own.

Blue Java bananas might be ordered on-line from Miami Fruit.

Manzano Banana

Colour: Darkish yellow peel, pale flesh
Taste: Candy with a slight fruity taste
Texture: Creamy
Finest Makes use of: Smoothies, custards, desserts

The Manzano banana is native to Central and South America, and reputed for its candy, fruity taste. With notes of apple and strawberry, it is sometimes called the apple banana. The riper it will get, the extra intense its distinctive aroma turns into. Some swear that the Manzano is finest loved when its peel is speckled with darkish spots or has turned utterly black. In any case, a banana with a extra noticeably advanced taste would make a superb ingredient in smoothies, custards, or banana pudding.

Plantain

Colour: Inexperienced, yellow, or black
Taste: Delicate to candy
Texture: Agency to creamy
Finest Makes use of: Savory dishes of every kind

Though not usually considered typical bananas, plantains are a part of the banana household—the organic genus Musa—and are actually scrumptious in numerous methods than their dessert-oriented cousins. Higher but, they’re usually not too onerous to search out in the US. Plantains’ increased starch content material and lack of sweetness make them a superb ingredient in savory dishes. Plantains are additionally an attention-grabbing ingredient as a result of cultures world wide have ingeniously found out find out how to put together them at each stage of their ripeness. Simply to offer two examples, whereas underripe and inexperienced, plantains are destined to be sliced, smashed, and fried into tostones, which is a dish native to Latin America and the Caribbean, however when when totally ripened and black, plantains within the type of maduros are a superb snack.