In botanical terms, a banana is a berry, and they are produced from flowering plants in the Musa genus. Bananas come in different colors, sizes, and firmness, but they can all be recognized by their starchy flesh, curved shape, and rind. The banana is a fruit that hangs from plants in clusters, ready to be collected. They are usually seedless and come from two species: the Musa acuminata and the Musa balbisiana. There are around 100 billion bananas sold worldwide each year.
There are over 1,000 different varieties of bananas, about half of which are inedible. they grow best in hot, humid climates and are most often imported from Central America and Asia, including Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, India. Pakistan, Indonesia and etc.
Here are the ten best types of bananas you should try if you ever have the chance.
01) Cavendish Bananas
Cavendish bananas are the most common type. They are the long yellow, slightly sweet bananas found in supermarkets throughout the U.S. They change from an underripe green to a perfectly ripe mellow yellow, ripening to a deep yellow with brown spots, and then becoming tender and browning as they ripen.
The perfect ripeness depends on personal taste. Super ripe and browning bananas can be thrown in the fridge — peel and all — and peeled and used to make smoothies or banana bread. You can add them to smoothies, pancakes, or banana bread.
02) red banana
Red bananas come in many varieties, but they all have one thing in common: they look awesome and they tend to be sweeter than green bananas. Eat them by hand or add them to dishes, but once the fruit is red, it’s time to eat!
When fully ripen, they have a cream to light pink flesh. Some of the fruits have a slight raspberry taste, and others have an earthy flavor.
03) Candy Apple Banana
Apple bananas grow in the rainy tropical forests of Hawaii, where they have firm, pinkish flesh. They are particularly sweet, which is why they are named Candy Apple Bananas.
It is ideal for snacking, making desserts, and adding to fruit salads and other raw preparations since it doesn’t brown as quickly as other banana varieties.
04) Lady’s Finger Banana
Lady’s Finger bananas also known as baby bananas are typically shorter and sweeter than the ubiquitous Cavendish bananas that are typically longer and milder. They can be used in the same way, but make particularly healthy, portion-controlled snacks, especially for kids.
Baby bananas come in an average size of 3 inches in length and display a bright yellow color. They are creamy in texture and have a honey-like, sweet flavor.
05) Pisang Raja banana
Due to their delectable and firm texture, Pisang Raja bananas are popular in Indonesia, and they are also referred to as Musa Belle bananas. They are used in the preparation of popular street food called Pisang Goreng, (banana fritters). They taste sweet like honey and range in color from yellow to orange.
Despite their delicious taste, the Pisang Raja banana isn’t very well known in other regions of the world, and it’s pretty hard to find them outside of Indonesia.
06) Blue Java banana
Blue Java bananas are also known as Ice Cream Bananas because of their strong texture and sweet vanilla flavor. They are hardy and cold-tolerant bananas, as well as wind-resistant, making them a very popular fruit in colder regions.
When they are ripe they have an unusual blue color. They are typically eaten raw as a treat but they can be cooked as well. They take around 15-24 months to bloom.
07) Goldfinger banana
Goldfinger variety is native to Honduras. It is cold-tolerant, wind, and disease-resistant. The fruit has an apple-like sweet flavor and does not turn brown when cut. This variety is a cross between Cavendish and Lady Finger.
It is edible to eat when green but usually after cooking. It is often eaten in Western regions when ripe and is sold in most North American and European markets
08) Barangan Banana
Barangan bananas have yellow skin with black spots on them. They are sweet tasting and have white flesh. The fruit doesn’t have seeds and is eaten as a dessert in many places. It is especially popular in North Sumatra because it is a tasty fruit packed with nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins.
09) Plantains (bANANA TYPE)
Plantains are high in starch and are often used as a vegetable. When they ripen, plantains go through the same colors as bananas. They are not as sweet as bananas, which is why they are traditionally used in savory dishes.
In North America and Europe, bananas and plantains are classified differently based on their intended use. Plantains aren’t as sweet as bananas and have higher starch content than bananas. They are usually incorporated in cooked dishes instead of consumed raw like bananas are
10) Nanjangud Banana
It is grown in the Mysore and Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka, India, where the fruit is renowned for its taste and aroma. This fruit is famous for its slightly tart flavor due to its unique method of cultivation and alluvial clay soil around Nanjangud.
SOME OTHER FAMOUS BANANAS INCLUDE :
- Manzano Banana
- Burro Bananas
- Saba Banana
- Praying Hands Bananas
- Orinoco Bananas
- Fehi Bananas
- Bluggoe Bananas
- Dwarf Jamaican Bananas
