John Myers
There are around 1,000 banana varieties worldwide, most of which are of local importance. For commercial cultivation, on the other hand, the range of varieties is rather limited. Bananas are mainly grown in tropical climates, very occasionally in subtropical climates. When it comes to edible varieties, a distinction is made between fruit bananas, and plantains. Plantains are not edible until they are boiled, fried, or baked.
In Germany, the banana is one of the most popular types of fruit alongside the apple. Germans consume 14 kilograms per capita per year. Most of the bananas for the German market come from South and Central America or the Caribbean. Sweet tropical fruits are also popular as banana juice or in smoothies. They are also a wonderful base for nutritious desserts, such as our banana quark or our banana bread recipes.
3 Extraordinary Facts About Bananas
- Bananas are quite closely related to us: our human DNA is 55 percent identical to that of bananas! At the end of last year, for example, the special exhibition “Developments – 60 years of discovery of the DNA structure” in the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin provided more information on this.
- Bananas are radioactive: If you eat 600 bananas, you will be exposed to a level of radioactivity equivalent to an X-ray of your chest. Blame it on: the potassium-40 contained in all bananas. Potassium is an essential mineral that we need to survive – because it supports the work of our muscles. And bananas contain a lot of it (400mg per 100g). However, part of this mineral, namely potassium-40, differs structurally from the rest: 0.01 percent is radioactive. In this amount, however, the radiation remains completely harmless to us.
- Bananas are first aid providers: caught a nasty splinter? Press the inside of fresh banana peels onto the splitter for about 15 minutes – the banana’s natural enzymes will pull the splitter out.
Here is a brief overview of some banana varieties
- Cavendish varieties: The Cavendish varieties are the most traded fruit bananas in the world and can be found in almost every fruit department. They are named after the Duke of Cavendish, who planted bananas from China in his garden at the beginning of the 19th century. The bananas of the Cavendish variety have a mild taste and their skin is thin, so they are quite sensitive to impact. They were launched in 1959. Since the beginning of the 21st century, due to massive fungal infestation, the so-called Panama disease, the end of the Cavendish has been in sight and research is being carried out in to the breeding of more robust banana varieties.
- Gros Michel: It was the first fruit banana with strong economic importance for export to the United States of America. It is sweet in taste and slightly larger than the Cavendish. The shell is also thicker. Due to massive fungal infestation, and Panama disease, it disappeared from the market in the early 1950s.
- Baby Banana: More aromatic and sweeter than the Cavendish. It is only 10 centimeters long. Comes mainly from Kenya and South America.
- Red Banana: Red bananas are fruit bananas. They have red skin and dark yellow, firm flesh with an intense banana aroma. Can be eaten raw, but are also good for roasting, braising, and baking. They are imported from Brazil, India, the Philippines, Ecuador, Mexico, and Thailand.
- Apple Banana: Slight taste of apples. Belongs to the current breeds and was first cultivated in Cuba.
- Canary dwarf banana: Also sweet in taste. Eaten as fruit, but also boiled or fried with meat and fish. It has a very thin skin, which is why it is only exported from the Canary Islands to mainland Spain. The region of origin is Asia, it came to the Canary Islands in the 15th century.
- Plantains: Plantains still play a relatively insignificant role in European cuisine. In contrast, they are widespread in tropical countries in South and Central America, Africa, and Asia. They are only edible after boiling, roasting, or baking.
