History
The edible banana and the plantain commonly seen on the market have a long history. The banana, which is the forth-largest fruit crop in the world, originated in the Indo-Malaysian region and was exported to Europe in the 10th century. Bananas and plantains are commonly found in Latin America (65%), Southeast Asia (27%), and Africa (7%), which make up the worlds production of 28 million tons yearly. One fifth of this production is transported to Europe, Canada, the U.S., and Japan as fresh fruit.
Banana Facts
The banana plant is often erroneously referred to as a "tree", although it is a large herb with juicy stem that reaches the height of 20 to 25 ft (6-7.5 m). The fruit is technically a berry that obtains a deep-green to yellow, red, or white striped color. Its size can range from 2 1/2 to 12 inches (6.4-30 cm) in length and 3/4 to 2 inches (1.9-5 cm) in width. The flesh can be white, yellow, and salmon-yellow, and have a firm, astringent to soft and mellow texture.
The edible bananas are grown in tropical areas with an ideal temperature averaging 80°F and a mean rainfall of 4 inches per month. The bananas should be protected from wind, due to the detrimental effect of shredding leaves, interfering with metabolism and twisting and distortion of the crown.
After 70-80 days cutters, who use curved knives to cut down the 75% matured fruits, harvest the bananas. This is done once the top bananas are turning light green and the flower remnants at the tips of the bananas are easily rubbed off. The cutters must leave a stalk of 6 to 9 inches on the bunch for carrying. Once harvested, the fruits cannot be exposed to light to prevent the ripening process. The bunch weight is on average 110 lbs for 363 fruits, or the same weight for 150 to 200 fruits depending on the fruit size.
There are very many different kinds of bananas. Some common names are 'Sucrier', 'Lady Finger', 'Gros Michel', 'Dwarf Cavendish', 'Giant Cavendish', 'Pisang masak hijau', 'Robusta', 'Valery', 'Bluggoe', 'Ice Cream', 'Mysore'. Many have sub-names, and others are named differently depending on the region of growth.
Nutrition Facts
Medium 7-inch Banana (Ripe): Calories 105, Protein 1 g, Fat 0 g, Carbohydrates 27 g, Fiber 3.1 g, cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 1 mg, potassium 422 mg