The 3 Best Banana Varieties (2024)

The banana, also known as “Plantain” is one of the most popular fruits worldwide. This fruit has gone from being scarce and expensive a century ago, to being a fairly common product that we can find in most markets or stores worldwide so we detail the 3 best varieties of bananas that there are.

There are multiple varieties of bananas in different parts of the world and today we can see up to 500 different varieties of bananas.

The banana is one of the first plants to be domesticated, in fact, it has been cultivated since 10,000 years ago, in Neolithic times.

The banana plant and the fruit itself received this name because of its broad leaves. The word banana comes directly from the old Spanish word “plantano” which means flat or wide.

This fruit as fit for human consumption as we know it comes from Southeast Asia, specifically it is believed that from a plant that by a mutation produced seedless bananas about 2,000 years ago.

This type of mutation caused bananas to have three copies of each chromosome instead of the usual two.

Banana plants reproduce by cuttings, not by seeds, and all banana plants are almost clones of their ancestors and have little genetic variety.

If we talk about its economic and food influence, it is so important that only wheat, rice and corn exceed the production of bananas and plantains worldwide.

After the Gros Michel disaster, they found a variety resistant to the fungus.

Its flavor was less intense and it was a larger fruit and less easy to handle industrially: the Cavendish banana, which eventually prevailed due to its resistance to Fusarium Oxysporum.

Currently there are different cultivars or types of Cavendish banana, which are the most consumed in many countries.

Banana Cavendish refers to several banana cultivars that belong to the AAA banana cultivar group. It is one of the most famous and cultivated banana varieties. In fact, it is estimated that 99% of banana exports are of Cavendish type.

Origin of the name Cavendish

Cavendish bananas are named after William Cavendish, sixth Duke of Devonshire. Although they were not the earliest known banana specimens in Europe, around 1834 Cavendish received a consignment of bananas (from Mauritius) courtesy of the chaplain of Alton Towers (then the seat of the Earls of Shrewsbury).

His head gardener and friend, Sir Joseph Paxton, grew them in the greenhouses at Chatsworth House. The plants were botanically described by Paxton as Musa cavendishii, in honor of the Duke.

For his work, Paxton won a medal at the 1835 Royal Horticultural Society exhibition.

Its name comes from the English name Red Spanish, which refers to its striking crimson tones and its Hispanic origin.

The red banana is a fruit suitable for consumption, both raw and cooked, this stands out for its color and a sweet flavor with a slight hint of raspberry.

Its origin is from Ecuador and its size is smaller and thicker than the common banana, with which it shares most of its properties.

The red banana is also a highly nutritious fruit, although it is rich in calories, it contains hardly any fat and is very rich in sugars and different minerals, such as potassium. That is why theWHOrecommends its consumption.

It was already very popular in America, but recently this variety of banana has begun to spread to the European continent as well.

It is a thick-skinned banana, although the most striking thing about it for those less accustomed to it is undoubtedly the red or reddish-brown color that gives it its name. Its taste, which has raspberry nuances, is not far behind either.

Towards the beginning of the 20th century, bananas began to become a more and more desired product by the middle classes of European and North American countries, and in particular by the United States.

Several banana companies began to invest heavily in Latin American countries to become exporters of the sought-after fruit, making it a staple in the U.S. family basket.

The Gros Michel, often translated into English as “Big Mike”, marked a whole era for banana exports, being until the 1950s, the main variety planted worldwide.

However, due to the terrible and well known “Panama Disease”, this famous specimen ceased to exist.

In fact, Fusarium Tropical Race 4 wilt is the most destructive disease currently affecting banana plantations worldwide.

Efforts have been made to use genetic modification to create a version of Gros Michel that is resistant to Panama disease.

There have also been successful hybrids of Cavendish and Gros Michel that have resistance toPanama disease, but it has not yet been possible to recreate it.

Bananas are popularly known for providing energy, being one of the favorite foods in the diet of people who practice sports or exercise.

Behind the popularity of this delicious and practical food, there are many properties and benefits for our health.

In addition, this functional fruit is a great source of vitamins and minerals that our body needs. It contains mainly vitamin C, vitamin B6, and minerals such as magnesium, iron, manganese and potassium.

It is even widely used as a weight loss food or as a healthy dessert.

Globally, the bulk of banana production is found in countries in South America, Central America, and Asia.

The Costa Rican banana sector is internationally recognized for the great effort it has made to constantly research how to increase the productivity of banana farms and reduce the use of agrochemicals on plantations.

According to the National Banana Corporation (CORBANA), Costa Rica is one of the three most important banana exporting countries in the world, selling around 120 million boxes per year.

Bananas are a great fruit, but sometimes, due to their delicate ripening and handling, many countries prefer to handle them in frozen form.

For this reason, an integral freezing system calledPrime Freezing Systemwas developed, which avoids fiber breakage during freezing, allowing the product to maintain its fresh properties when thawed.

This means that the shelf life can be extended like any other frozen fruit, but it can also be used as fresh fruit when thawed, since its flavor, texture, colors and smells remain intact.

This will allow more fruit to arrive more easily and fresh fruit around the world, reducing food waste, costs and improving people’s lifestyles.