A Information to Banana Varieties Across the World

The extra you concentrate on bananas, the stranger an idea they appear: Virtually 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 obtainable to most individuals in the US: the Cavendish, a slender, barely curved banana with a cheerful shade of yellow.

World wide, nonetheless, there are literally thousands of different banana varieties—they simply aren’t available outdoors of their native rising areas. Beneath, we’ll check out a few of these cultivars, together with ones that you’ll find within the U.S. (if you already know the place to look!) and others that it’s best to add to your record in case you ever end up someplace tropical. Belief me, they’re price in search of 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 comprises 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 comprises 83 flowering vegetation, together with bananas and plantains. Banana “timber” are technically not timber; slightly, 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 fashionable banana’s wild ancestor. Scientists concur that the domesticated bananas we’re accustomed to at this time first originated in Papua New Guinea roughly 7,000 years in the past. Folks 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. At the moment, 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.

Individuals 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 at this time—Baker rapidly fashioned the Boston Fruit Firm. Recognizing that bananas might 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 at this time. This, mixed with shoppers’ willingness to pay $2 (roughly $50 at this time) per bunch of bananas, proved that bananas meant huge enterprise. 

To determine a nationwide presence, northeast-based Boston Fruit Firm merged with southeast-dominant Tropical Buying and selling and Transport Firm in 1899, forming United Fruit Firm. 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, choose, 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 corporations have been in a position to cement the banana as an reasonably priced American staple, and the fruit has since turn out to be a go-to snack and customary baking ingredient in lots of households. At the moment, bananas are deeply ingrained in our on a regular basis lives, a lot in order that bananas are persistently the most well-liked recent fruit bought in the US.

Editor’s Notice: Whereas a deep-dive on the usually fraught business 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 position of colonization and globalization in popularizing the fruit.)

How the Banana Trade Led Us to a Singular Banana Selection

As increasingly Individuals anticipated consistency and comfort at their fingertips, the fruit business realized it might must standardize the bananas obtainable 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 capacity to resist 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 asexual propagation. Whereas this creates a superbly constant product, it additionally produces genetically equivalent fruit. Briefly: a menace to 1 Gros Michel banana tree is a menace to each Gros Michel banana tree, which, on this case, would endanger the whole banana business. Hazard rapidly introduced itself within the type of Fusarium wilt, or “Panama Illness,” a soil-borne fungus.

Within the Eighteen Nineties, Panama Illness developed to assault the Gros Michel in Panama, and rapidly 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 ultimately affecting newer progress—till the entire plant dies. A sequence of epidemics decimated the business Gros Michel plantations throughout Central and South America, and by the Fifties, it was inconceivable to develop the variability on the similar scale. Panama Illness would have ended the sale of handy, tasty, reasonably priced bananas Individuals had grown accustomed to had United Fruit Firm not rapidly pivoted.

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

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

Banana Varieties At the moment

Gros Michel Banana

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

The primary banana America fell in love with, the Gros Michel is typically 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 great 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 on-line retailers who develop them on a a lot smaller scale.

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

Cavendish Banana

Coloration: Yellow peel, white flesh
Taste: Barely candy
Texture: Calmly creamy
Greatest Makes use of: Eaten uncooked, banana splits, banana pudding, or banana bread

The Cavendish, which is the banana most individuals are accustomed to in the US, accounts for 47% of all world manufacturing—considerably greater than every other selection—and features because the spine of the banana enterprise at this time. It’s no shock why: Its candy, well-rounded, and mildly fruity taste make it a simple 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

Coloration: Blackened, yellow peel, creamy flesh
Taste: Candy vanilla
Texture: Dense and creamy, nearly silky
Greatest 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 fully. Their flesh, nonetheless, will stay a lightweight, creamy colour. Nam Wah bananas are beloved for his or her exceptionally candy taste that’s harking back to vanilla. Mixed with their silky easy 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 may be ordered on-line at Fruit Hunters.

Mysore Banana

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

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

After they’re in season, Mysore bananas may be ordered from Miami Fruit.

Pisang Raja Banana

Coloration: Yellow-orange peel, yellow flesh
Taste: Candy and barely citrusy
Texture: Extremely easy
Greatest 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 word would make it a superb addition to fruit salads, and even sliced and added as a pancake topping for a creamy, advanced word.

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

Girl Finger Banana

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

Also called 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 immune to browning as soon as lower. Girl Finger bananas’ capacity to remain visually interesting, together with their honey-like taste, makes them an awesome alternative for raw banana desserts and fruit salads.

Señorita Banana

Coloration: Gentle yellow peel, pale flesh
Taste: Tremendous candy
Texture: Extremely mushy
Greatest 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 sometimes too fragile to move and are additionally susceptible to a lot of pathogens, which prevents their large-scale cultivation. They’re sometimes discovered sparsely in rural areas, although some smaller retailers do harvest and provide them on the market within the Philippines. 

Their absence on the mass market definitely doesn’t cease Filipinos and vacationers from having fun with them, although. As a result of their fragility and shortage, they’re typically eaten uncooked however would definitely 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 standard Saba banana and accounting for the Señorita banana’s delicate texture might yield a very creamy adaptation of turon, a fried banana roll dessert native to the Philippines.

Pink Bananas

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

Pink bananas are not any stranger to the US and are typically obtainable at main supermarkets like Kroger and Walmart, and infrequently discovered on the market by specialty on-line fruit suppliers, however they definitely deserve some extra love and a focus. Along with being barely sweeter than the already acquainted Cavendish, purple bananas are additionally denser and have firmer flesh, which makes them candidate for cooked dishes. In Thailand, for instance, cooks often incorporate purple bananas into curries so as to add sweetness and stability different flavors within the dish. Being sweeter and barely creamier than the Cavendish, purple bananas are additionally candidate for bananas Foster, a dish of flambéed bananas and vanilla ice cream.

Blue Java Banana

Coloration: Gentle yellow peel, pale flesh
Taste: Barely tart
Texture: Smooth serve ice cream
Greatest 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 because of their extremely easy, custard-like texture. Whereas web lore additionally claims these misunderstood bananas style like vanilla, in response to uncommon fruit vendor Miami Fruit, this selection truly tastes barely tart. Blue Java bananas, that are native to Southeast Asia, can be a welcome addition to smoothies or simply loved on their very own.

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

Manzano Banana

Coloration: Darkish yellow peel, pale flesh
Taste: Candy with a slight fruity taste
Texture: Creamy
Greatest 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

Coloration: Inexperienced, yellow, or black
Taste: Delicate to candy
Texture: Agency to creamy
Greatest Makes use of: Savory dishes of all types

Though not typically regarded as typical bananas, plantains are a part of the banana household—the organic genus Musa—and are definitely scrumptious in numerous methods than their dessert-oriented cousins. Higher but, they’re sometimes not too arduous 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 fascinating ingredient as a result of cultures all over the world have ingeniously found out put together them at each stage of their ripeness. Simply to present 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.