Bananas never cease to amaze in shape, colour, size and taste. Their appearance varies greatly. There are around 400 types of bananas in total. In Germany, 20 varieties are part of the vitamin-rich experience.
Colorful variety
It is often unknown in this country that not all bananas are yellow. There are: brown, red, pink and striped bananas.
Some of them are highly aromatic, others fruity sweet. Some varieties, on the other hand, are characterized by their floury, starchy and rather firm taste.
It is mostly the cultivated, rather classic fruit bananas that are exported. Compared to others, these are rather watery.
Three types of bananas:
fruit bananas
These are often yellow. The flesh is soft, light and tastes sweet.
Varieties: Dwarf Cavendish, Giant Cavendish, Grande Naine, Musa sikkimensis Darjeeling
plantains (plantains)
They are often baked, boiled or roasted. They taste rather mealy raw. In Latin America, they are part of the daily menu in combination with rice and beans.
Varieties: Manihot esculenta (cassava, yucca)
textile bananas
With these varieties, the leaves and not the fruit are used. The most widespread is the fiber banana from Indonesia. Nets, yarns and cordage are made from the so-called Manila fibers of the leaf sheaths.
Variety: Musa textilis
ornamental bananas
Special breeds (smaller indoor plants) are suitable for conservatories and living rooms.
Varieties: Musa basjoo, Musa ensete ventricosum, Ensete ventricosum Maurelii, Musa velutina, Musa yunnanensis, Musa Burmese Blue
Banana as a staple food
Due to this multifaceted palette, this fruit is considered a staple food in many countries around the world. The banana takes over the role of our potato.
Plantains or plantains are primarily used as the basis for the daily menu in the tropics. They are also used to make flour, beer or chips, for example.
tips and tricks
Plantains are now also available in our supermarkets. A culinary adventure is definitely worth it.