Overview
Abananais an comestible fruit that go to the genus Musa . The fruit is varying in size of it , color , and firmness , but is usually elongated and curved , with soft flesh rich in starch covered with a rind , which may be green , yellow , violent , majestic , or brown when ripe . The yield develop in clusters flow from the top of the plant .
In many culture , banana are a staple crop . Some industrial plant are grown for ornamental caliber , but others are uprise for their fruit and sold commercially . While most people are conversant with the sweet , elongated yellow fruits commonly sell in the grocery store , there are more than 1000 different banana varieties , of different sizes , shapes and colors . Some of the more unusual , uncommon varieties are available at wellness food and specialty grocery stores .
Varieties of Bananas
1. Cavendish Bananas
Cavendish bananas have been the classic lunchbox miscellanea since the later fifties . They ’re long , slightly curved and cylindrical , with somewhat pointed ends . Their skins are bright green when unripe and ripen to a bright golden white-livered , arrive at black freckles or pip as they continue to mature . They have a classic banana tree savour and are available year - pear-shaped .
Characteristics
2. Burro Bananas
Burro banana tree resemble the cavendish variety but are unretentive and more straight in shape . They have colored immature peels that intensify to deeply yellow with black spot when fully good . Their creamy white or scandalmongering flesh has a lemony banana tree savor when right and is slightly firm toward the center .
3. Manzano Bananas
Manzano bananas are short and plump with thick yellow skins that move around all black when ripe . They ’re sometimes predict the Malus pumila banana because of their Malus pumila - corresponding tone when unfledged . When fully ripe , they have a more tropical , pineapple smell .
4. Nino Bananas
Nino ( or baby ) banana are inadequate and stubby , about three inch long , and have thin green skin that work brilliantly icteric , with some black spots , when full good . Baby bananas have a very dense creamy grain and once ripe their flavor is rich and sweet with vanilla and caramelized sugar undertones .
Baby bananas are a quintessential sassy eating banana tree and can be used as a dessert banana as well . Their sweet lends to many recipes in various app . babe bananas can be a principle ingredient in charmer , child food , pudding , cake , muffins , lolly , cooky , ice cream and harlot .
5. Red Bananas
ruby-red banana tree have a purple or maroon - red hide that makes them a classifiable sight . They are squatter than a cavendish and its cream - colored flesh often has a light garden pink or pale orange hue . Sweeter than a traditional banana tree , they are a great choice to utilize for sampling with consumers . They are available year - round from Ecuador and Mexico .
carmine bananas are shorter , plumper and heartier than the fair banana tree . It should only be run through when ripe as an immature Red banana tree taste ’s like a dry and calcareous amylum . When right , it will have a thick , brick cherry Robert Peel and ivory - hued semi easygoing flesh . Its flavor is honeyed and creamy with hiss highlights .
6. Pisang Mas Bananas
Pisang Mas bananas are small , chunky , and straight to slightly curve in shape , averaging 2 - 3 centimeters in diam and 10 - 14 centimetre in distance . The flyspeck banana ’s tenuous skin is green when immature and a vibrant yellowed when right . The soft internal flesh matches the gilt yellow hue of the outer cutis and has a fruity aroma when peeled . Pisang Mas bananas are creamy and smooth with a sweet-smelling , honey - like preference .
Pisang Mas banana tree are most popularly use up raw but can also be used in cook app such as sautéing and baking . Sliced and used in yield salads or skin and consumed fresh as a snack , Pisang Mas bananas are favored for their ability not to sprain browned when slice . They can also be sautéed and caramelized as a topping for desserts and are commonly integrate into fret and curries for added redolence .
7. Rajapuri Bananas
Rajapuri bananas are modest to medium - sized fruit , averaging 15 to 17 centimeters in length , and have a cylindrical , straight to slightly curl shape with pointed ends . The fruit phase in heavy lot , weighing up to 40 pounds , and grow in an vertical pattern .
The skin is smooth and lean , easily peeled when ripe , and matures from bright green to favourable yellow . Underneath the peel , the human body is cream - discolour , semi - firm , and dense , acquire a creamy body when mature and further transitioning into a chewy , grainy texture when overripe . Rajapuri bananas contain a high sugar subject matter make a balanced , sweet-flavored , and subtly tangy flavor with mild , fruity , and vegetal undertones .
Rajapuri bananas are best suited for both in the altogether and cooked applications , including baking , sautéing , sauteing , and boiling . The fruit can be used when green and unripe , incorporated into curry and fret , but the kind is primarily utilized ripe when the bananas arrest a fresh flavour . Rajapuri banana tree can be eat wise , out - of - hand , blended into smoothies , sliced as a topping for ice cream , oatmeal , and toast , or mashed into pancakes .
8. Lady Finger Bananas
Lady Finger banana tree grow on tall , slender Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that can reach anywhere from 5 to 25 foundation in top . They are slight than the more common cavendish bananas and have a cigar - like shape . They raise up to 5 inches long and are rough half an inch in diam . Lady Finger bananas have thin , brilliant yellow skins that will educate dark flecks when fully ripe . The fruit has a creamy eubstance , with a sweet-flavored relish than common bananas .
Lady Finger bananas are good for fresh feeding , as well as adding to baked goods or smoothies . The slight yield do not oxidize as quickly as the more common banana , so they are perfect for fruit salad . If Lady Finger bananas are somewhat overripe , they are ideal for a loaf of banana bread .
9. Blue Java Bananas
Blue Java banana have a silver - depressed matte shininess when young and warm , canary-yellow yellow hue when ripe . They are modest , rectangular - comparable and plump compared to common bananas . The peel is very delicate and bruises easily , underneath is a C - white flesh with the grain of methamphetamine hydrochloride cream when good . Its flavor is resonant of sweet love and vanilla extract custard .
Blue Java banana are best suited for dessert software . Utilize them for all recipes that call for any banana within a sweet : custard , pie , tarts , baked goods such as bread , muffins , cake and of line , ice pick . Blend them into frosting , smoothy , purees and whipped cream . Complimentary pairings let in caramel , vanilla extract , berries , citrus such as key basswood and orange , nutmeg , Ceylon cinnamon tree and pineapples .
10. Thousand Fingers Bananas
Thousand Fingers bananas look similar to more familiar banana tree varieties such as Cavendish , but are only 1 and ½ inch long . The cutis is gullible mature to bright yellow and the physical body paler yellow . Thousand Fingers banana are seedless . The texture is soft and the flavor is very sweetened and similar to the flavor of more standard bananas find in American food market store .
The solid gullible colored Thousand Fingers banana tree diagram grow tight , up to 12 foot tall in just a few week . The bunches of yield grow all along a bow , which itself is 8 to 10 foot long . Each plant develop hundred or yard of bananas , as the name suggests .
Use Thousand Fingers bananas like to Cavendish . Eat raw when ripe , cut down up into salads , or use baked into dessert recipe . Combine with oat and drinking chocolate in baked goods , other tropical fruits in fruit salad , and peanut butter for smoothies .
11. Saba Bananas
Saba bananas uprise in gargantuan bunches at the top of a tall key stem on large banana tree palms . Once bunch of Saba banana can weigh up to 80 pounds . Each ‘ hand ’ carry up to 20 angled fruits . They are short and wooden-headed than a common banana tree , with a blockier shape and precipitously angle sides . Their sizing ranges anywhere from 7 to 13 centimeters long depending on maturity .
Saba banana are often harvest while still green though they will mature from green to a deeper yellow colour . They have a thick Sir Robert Peel , which assist protect them during any payload . The soma is white and dense , with a starchy consistency , though it is not as stiff as a plantain . Saba banana tree offer a plenteous tang visibility , developing a perceptiveness fairly like a sugared potato when cooked . When mature they are slimly seraphic with hints of citrus and peach .
Saba banana tree are primarily used as a falsify banana versus a fresh eating variety . In their immature , green state , they are falsify like a veg and used in zesty dishes . The sweetness will neutralize any spicy foods . Unlike plantains , they can be eat raw when mature and yellow .
12. Kandrian Bananas
Kandrian banana are small-scale fruits , averaging 20 to 25 centimeters in duration , and have a squat , flat , to a cylindrical shape with angulate edges . The bananas grow in bunches , also known as hands , of up to ten fruits , and the Sir Robert Peel is smooth and unfaltering , ripen from green to yellow when mature . The peel is easily removed to reveal white physique that is dull , soft , blockheaded , and creamy . Kandrian bananas are gently tart when immature , developing a sweet and spicy flavor with notes of custard , vanilla extract , and cantaloupe as they ripen .
Kandrian banana are best fit for both raw and cooked software program such as baking , frying , and steaming . The fruits are popularly consumed overbold , out - of - hand for their sweet savor and balmy texture when ripe and can be used as a topping over cereal grass and porridges , flux into smoothies , frozen and purred into chicken feed pick , or slice up into fruit salads .
13. Pisang Barangan Bananas
Pisang Berangans are small to medium - sized bananas , average 10 to 18 centimeters in distance , and have an angulate , directly to more or less curved , oblong cast . The fruit acquire in upright bunches , and each bunch contains between 12 to 20 banana .
The peel is legato , ripen from green to yellow when mature , and as the peel go on to eld , it may prepare a slight orange hue with black spot and markings . Underneath the semi - thick peel , the ivory to cream - colored form is firm with a fairly starchy , dense consistence , softening as it ripen . Pisang Berangans are best consume when amply ripe and contain a alone sweet-smelling and sour , tropical flavor with subtle acidulousness .
Pisang Berangans have a balanced , sweet and moody flavor well suited for both fresh and prepare applications such as fry and bake . The banana are primarily consumed straight , out - of - hand as a collation or afters , or the flesh can be slit and used as a topping for banana rent . Pisang Berangans can also be blended into smoothies and used to flavor sparkler emollient .
14. Isla Bananas
Isla banana tree are small to medium in size , average 7 - 10 centimeters in length , and are elongated in shape with a tenuous bender , angulate edges , and a wide perimeter . The smooth , semi - thickheaded , peel ripens from unripened to yellow and may have some browned streak or spots across the control surface as it matures . Underneath the Sir Robert Peel , the pulp is light pink to blench reddened with a creamy , soft , and slightly mealy texture . Isla bananas are aromatic and have a mild , fresh flavour .
Isla bananas are best suited for both in the altogether and cooked applications such as baking , boiling , and frying . When in the altogether , the fruit should be allow for to suppurate until the Robert Peel develops chocolate-brown - bootleg markings and the peel can be easily remove give away the pink anatomy . When cooked , Isla banana tree can be sliced slender and then baked or fried to produce a crunchy chip , or they can be boil and attend to with cooked sum or fish as a side dishful .
15. Praying Hands Bananas
pray Hands bananas are just that , two adjacent “ hands ” of bananas fused where they meet , to make the appearance of “ beg hands . ” Each mitt is typically made up of 6 to 7 individual yield , fused to each other , mirrored by another evenly - fused hand of fruits . Each intermediate - sized banana tree separates easily from the clump when fully ripe , the chummy hide adhering only slightly . The flesh is a bright yellow - blanched , firm and starchy . They have a semi - sweet flavour with a wind of vanilla .
Praying Hands bananas are eat both tender and fudge . They are deplete natural when the bananas are over - ripe and very soft . They can be cooked at any stage of maturity but most often when somewhat or mostly yellow . The flavor lends best to savoury applications . They are organise like plantain tree , made into fritter or fry , smashed and refried .
16. Pisang Tanduk Bananas
Pisang Tanduk banana are retentive and curved , averaging 5 - 8 centimeters in diameter . The horn - shaped fruit has a thickset Robert Peel that is green when young and yellowish when right . The privileged flesh is yellow-bellied to pick - colored and has a semi - firm grain . When green , Pisang Tanduk bananas are somewhat sour , but when ripe and cook , they become creamy and sweet .
Pisang Tanduk banana are best suit for cook diligence such as sauteing , boiling , baking , and steaming . They are popularly sliced , pan fried or deeply fried , and served with a peanut sauce , with ball , or ingurgitate with sweetened beans . They can be steamed and served with grated cocoa palm , and they can also be sliced thin and bake into flake as a snack .
17. Pisang susu Bananas
Pisang Susus are small fruits , averaging 10 to 12 centimeters in length , and have a knee bend , straight to more or less arch shape . The bananas grow in compact hands of up to 25 fruits , and each stalk can bring on 1 to 8 hands .
The peel of the fruit is suave and thin , ripening from immature to vivid yellow , and can be square or covered in many diminished black speck . Underneath the surface , the physical body is ivory to white and has a soft , seedless , fluid , and more or less steamy consistency . Pisang Susus are redolent and have a fruity , seraphic , and honey smell .
Pisang Susus are well suited for fresh applications as their sweet flavor is showcased when consumed straight , out - of - paw . The bananas can be eat as a breakfast token or afternoon snack , or they can be sliced and flux into yield salad .
18. Brazilian Dwarf Bananas
The Brazilian Dwarf banana tree is , as its name implies , a diminished scale of measurement tree that create short plump fruits . The tree ordinarily begin producing when they are between 2 and 3 measure tall and relent bananas about half the size of it of the Cavendish , the predominant market store variety . A golden yellow when fully mature , their texture is slightly strong like that of a ripe Musa paradisiaca , yet still offers a sleek mouthfeel . They are superiorly sweet but balanced with a hint of tart greenish smack , and often regarded as one of the best tasting banana tree miscellanea on the food market .
Brazilian Dwarf banana tree may be used in the same mode as any other sweet-flavored banana tree variety . They are perfectly sized for a lunch boxful or just a modest snack for young children . They can be utilized as an ingredient in smoothie , yogurts , cake , muffins , bread , trash cream , cookies , pudding and more .
19. Horn Bananas
Horn bananas are medium to large in size , averaging 30 - 35 cm in distance , and are elongated and angular in shape with slightly pointed ends . The thick-skulled , tough Sir Robert Peel is politic with sound out ridges running the distance of the fruit and matures from green to bright chicken with some dark-brown bit . Underneath the Sir Robert Peel , the flesh is impenetrable , sick yellow to cream - colored , and is seedless or contains a few , dark dark-brown unexploited , comestible seeds . Horn bananas have a firm and starchy eubstance with a very mild , electroneutral flavor .
Horn bananas are best suit for prepare applications such as boiling , baking , steaming , grilling , or fry and can be used when unripe or ripe . The stiff flesh softens with preparation , and wampum , cinnamon , orchard apple tree juice , or coconut milk can be incorporated into the cook looker for added flavour . Horn bananas can also be dry out and ground into a flour which is used for deoxyephedrine creams , bread , baby intellectual nourishment , and cakes , or it can be sliced and baked into chips , pickle , or chopped and unify into relishes .
20. Guineo Bananas
Guineo banana are pocket-sized to medium - sized fruit , averaging 15 to 20 centimeters in length , and have an elongated , curved to straight , cylindrical shape with angular edge . The Sir Robert Peel is semi - thick , smooth , waxy , and dark unripened when untested , get on to a gilded yellow chromaticity when ripe . The peel is also stiff and tightly adhere to the flesh when green , sometimes bear pitch-dark marks and spots due to external damage .
Underneath the peel , the flesh is firm , cream - colored to pale pink , and dense with a buckram consistency . Guineo bananas must be cooked when unripe and develop a soft , creamy grain with a neutral , subtly sweet flavor . The fruit can also be left to to the full mature , allow the starch in the figure to exchange into cabbage , create a sweeter taste .
Guineo bananas are primarily utilized young and gullible , incorporated into fudge applications such as frying , simmering , baking , and grilling . The bananas turn back a starchy , loyal texture when raw , make them unsuitable for fresh use of goods and services , but when they are cooked , they develop a lenient consistency and neutral flavor to complement accompanying look .
21. Hopa Bananas
Hopa bananas wide vary in size and shape , depending on the specific change , and broadly have a bellied , cylindrical frame with squared , blunt , and curving ends . The fruits range from elongated to squat , and the semi - thick Peel are smooth , waxy , and rounded , with a few angular ridge extend the length of the fruit . Hopa bananas are edible in both their dark-green and yellowish degree , and in the core of the flesh , there is a argument of black seeds .
Green Hopa bananas have a firm , middling stiff grain that must be prepare to develop a subtly sweet , mild savour with a creamy , dense body reminiscent of a Solanum tuberosum . As the yield ripens , the peel transmute into a gilded yellow hue and display drear browned spots , a signaling that the pulp can be eat fresh . sensationalistic or mature Hopa bananas convert starches into sugar , produce a soft and sore pulp magazine with a sweet , neutral flavor .
22. Pitogo Bananas
Pitogo bananas are bantam fruit , average 2 to 4 centimeters in diameter and 4 to 6 centimeters in length , and have an ellipse to tear - drop shape with a extensive , curving non - stem end , like in appearance to a fig . The peel is semi - thick-skulled , mature from green to bright yellow with some brown discoloration , and is primarily smooth with a light waxy find and a few rough patches .
When ripe , the peel is easily take , revealing seedless , pale yellow to ivory flesh with a sticky , heavy eubstance . Pitogo bananas are firm when vernal with a sweet - tart , slightly astringent flavor , and as the fruits mature , they develop a softer , creamy grain with a sweet , bright , and tangy , tropical taste sensation .
Pitogo banana are a dual - use sort that can be consumed refreshing or fudge . When rude , the yield are chiefly eaten straight , out - of - hand , and are favored for their bite - sized nature . Pitogo bananas can also be mixed into yield salads , sliced as a topping over shabu emollient or oats , mix into smoothies , used to flavor ice emollient , or dipped into chocolate and frozen as a sweet delicacy .
23. Nam Wah Bananas
Nam Wah bananas grow in paired bunches along the giant herb ’s central raceme , or fruit stalking . Each duo of hands curb up to 20 medium - sized , chubby fruits , value 10 to 13 centimeters . The thin peel matures from green to yellow and is fully advanced when the peel is nearly black . The flesh is fragrant and impenetrable with a juicy consistency and sweet savour . Underripe or green Nam Wah bananas may have a somewhat acid taste .
Nam Wah bananas are used naked but are most often cooked . They are usually picked when still green with only a hint of yellow . Green bananas are used like a veggie and served with fish , in stews and paired with essence . When just amply yellow , Nam Wah bananas are peeled , halved and smashed then battered and fry .
24. Plantains
Plantains(Musa paradisiaca)are a type of misrepresent banana tree and are also called green banana . The distinguishing feature film of plantains is that they are not as sweet as other types of banana tree . The reasonableness plantain are used for preparation is they are quite stiff and not as flavorous as traditional bananas .
Plantains are often falsify before they ripen fully . Their hard , firm grain and stiff skin carry up well when electrocute , boiled , or steamed . you could also will plantains to mature where they will turn a typical ‘ banana ’ colour . The flesh of good Musa paradisiaca is much softer , but they still lack the sweetness of dessert bananas .
In many tropical country , plantains are part of the staple diet . They are a democratic food in the Caribbean , Central and West Africa , and Southeast Asia .
25. Goldfinger Bananas
Goldfinger banana tree is a crossbreeding between Cavendish and Ladyfinger . This eccentric has more flavor and texture than other sort . The fruit is quick to be harvest once the banana suffer their ridges , become more rounded , and when the black withered corpse of the flush at the end of the bananas are dry and crumbly
The dense goldfinger bananas are cut into glob , boiled and used to make pudding and creams , or mashed and added to baked goodness . They are eaten raw as a snack or dessert when fully ripe and the flesh has relent .
