Bananas come in all shapes and colors; despite the popular and iconic bright yellow perfect-shaped fruit
that most people think about when it comes to bananas. Little do people realize that there are currently
more than one thousand known varieties of bananas in the entire planet, from red to yellow, and small
to big. Most, if not all, of the world is familiar with the Cavendish variety, which is the most traded fruit
worldwide, as well as the most consumed. Cavendish bananas are the main commercial variety and
mass-produced type of banana available, replacing the Gros Michel variety which has the dominant type
of banana before the Panama disease nearly wiped it entirely. Mass production has shaped the
consumer thoughts about bananas, specially the massive marketing efforts of the main worldwide
producers, but there are still many bananas worth analyzing. Here are the most popular and important
verities of bananas:
Gros Michel
Toping this list is the Gross Michel variety which was once the market leader across the globe up until
the second half of the twentieth century. This variety is known for being much larger than Cavendish
bananas, giving it the nickname “Big Mike”, as well as a thicker skin which made it ideal for shipping and
production. A robust skin combined with a sweet flavor made it popular amongst farmers which relied
on production methods in present days which were not available back then. Many consumers consider
this banana a superior kind over the Cavendish due to a better flavor and a greater sweetness. During
the 60’s the Gros Michel banana production quickly halted as the Panama disease, a fungus, spread
amongst the mayor plantations.
Cavendish
Second on this list are Cavendish bananas, which are the typical and most known bananas worldwide.
This variety is known for its perfect skin and bright yellow color when ripened. Its popularity rose almost
immediately from nothing to being the most produced and sold banana variety worldwide after the
Gros Michel banana was nearly wiped out. Having to quickly find a banana resistant to the Panama
Disease and that consumers would like, not only by taste but appearance, the Cavendish banana was
quickly picked. Currently it sits at the top of the list in sales of any fruit worldwide, as well as being
number 4 most traded agricultural product worldwide. With production science and techniques
becoming highly efficient and, such as protecting the fruit from the growing phase all the way to
markets all over the world, this banana variety checked all the boxes for producers and consumers. A
great tasting, low cost fruit, with the potential to be mass produced generating high amounts of
revenue. For many countries the Cavendish banana variety provides big amounts of the GDP and
thousands of jobs.
There are also what could be considered sub varieties of the Cavendish banana, which differ is size and
looks. Included are the Dwarf Cavendish bananas which are named not after the size of the banana but
of the plant or pseudo-stem which is small compared to normal variants. On the other hand, there are
also Giant Cavendish bananas which are the size of plantains but with similar properties to normal
Cavendish bananas. These last ones are also called William bananas.
Plantain
Third on this list is another popular banana variety which is fairly different from the majority of bananas.
Unlike the Cavendish banana, the plantain has a rather unpleasant flavor when eaten raw. Due to its
high starch and low sugars characteristic’s this banana variety is used as a side dish in many different
countries, especially in Central America and the Caribbean. When ripe this banana turns into a mixture
of black and yellow color, with green being the color it has during most of its life cycle. With a hard
interior, and a light yellow, almost pale, looking flesh this banana is meant for being cooked. The size is
another differentiate characteristic, as it’s a very large type of banana, providing high amount of food
for the price.
Red Banana
Red bananas are rather rare, and usually not commercialized in international markets, leaving it for
internal country consumption. Most of the red variety is home grown by farmers and people who enjoy
the fruit. The benefits of this variety are mainly its nutritional components which are the same as the
Cavendish banana but with added levels of vitamin C and B6. The flesh differs from the traditional
bananas as its sweeter in flavor and the texture is creamier. Overall size is similar to the Cavendish
banana.
Manzano Banana
With a taste similar to apples or strawberries this banana is commonly served for desert rather than at
any time due to the sweet taste. Size is also a big characteristic in this variant as they are rather small
compared to Cavendish bananas. Commonly used for pies, puddings, and many other recipes.
Goldfinger Banana
An important variety of bananas are the Goldfinger and they are resistant to pests. This resistance is due
to the gene pool which was specifically developed from combining more than 800 different banana
species from Southeast Asia. Similar to Cavendish bananas in taste and looks these bananas are sold in
the international market.
Saba Banana
A special type of banana that grows like none other. Originated from Philippines this variety has an
angular shape with thick skins, and is predominately used for cooking. The main characteristic that stand
out is the way the bananas grow very tightly next to each other, making is seem as if they were stuck
together. This banana due to its thick skins and culinary use can be considered the equivalent to the
plantain but for Southeast Asia region.