The fruit recipe in which there are the banana recipes, are loved by many people. The banana plant must be very familiar to each of us; it is grown and gives the fruits used around the world. The name banana is also an easy-called and remembered name among the fruit types. If you have seen the movie “Minion”, you could know how cute when they said “banana”. So, there must be many interesting information about banana fruit, and how about the banana types?
Banana and Plantain
In the banana recipes, banana is used as an interesting ingredient for dishes. It is rich in types but sometimes we do not know clearly base on the appearance because the types are not different from each other so far.
One point related to types of banana typically that the banana is divided into 2 main group banana and plantain. Both belong to banana family but banana is consumed as soon as it turns to be ripe while plantain must be cooked and do not use with the raw status.
And in culinary, banana is the sweet and soft ingredient while the plantain is considered as a potato. It is also starchy with low sugar not like banana. Banana recipes are popular today in different dishes in over the world. However the plantain is widely in cooking in Western Africa and the countries in Caribbean Area.
Distinguish the plantain from banana; it is difficult a little bit because there are not much different details between them except the bitter of the plantain when it is raw. The plantain has some types with bigger size from banana and it is also harder to peel compared with banana. However in some countries, there is some types of plantain are smaller than banana size.
Popular types of bananas
The types of banana are so rich. It is considered that there are a thousand of banana types in over the world. More and more types are consumed widely thanks to the frozen conditions and fast transport today. And you may find out some typical and popular banana types as below:
- Lakatan banana
It looks like bigger than Lady Finger banana about size. Lakatan banana is sweet and soft but the flesh texture is considered that it is not sticky like Apple banana or Saba banana. Lakatan banana has the origin from Philippines and it is widely cultivated here now.
- Saba banana
The type has its origin from Philippines. It is like with apple banana but with shorter and fatter size than apple banana. It is also sweeter than apple banana when it turns to ripe deeply. The peel is darker than ripe apple banana too. Saba banana is a great ingredient for banana recipes with desserts and cakes by its sweetness. It is very popular in cooking in Philippines.
- Apple banana
It is also called Latundan banana. This type is very popular in some countries in Southeast Asia and the rainy tropical forest such as in Hawaii. The type is not big but it seems to be shorter than some other types. The peel turns to thinner if the banana is ripe. The texture flesh is fresh, sweet and moist; flexible and sticky. Ripe apple banana is kept longer compared with some other banana types thank to its flesh structure.
Apple banana is widely used as a wonderful ingredient in banana recipes with some types of dishes such as snacks, banana sweet soups, cakes, banana bread and fried dishes. In the raw status, apple banana is loved to combine with different ingredients in the salads, crepes and pancakes.
- Blue Java banana
The banana is well known with different name such as Ice cream banana. It seems to be same with apple banana but with longer size. The texture also has fragrance like vanilla. Blue Java banana is widely cultivated in Hawaii and some countries in Southeast Asia. It is easy to be recognized by the blue peel before turning to be ripe but it is more distinguish from some other type such as apple banana and Saba banana because of the same peel yellow status.
Thanks to the fragrance and stick texture in flesh, Blue Java banana is used popularly with ice cream and some cake types such as pudding and custard.
- Cavendish banana
Cavendish banana is also widely type of bananas. It belongs to Musa Acuminata spieces. This is one of the most popular types of banana that consumed and traded in the world. Cavendish banana has the longer size than apple banana. The peel turns to light yellow more than apple banana when it is ripe. Cavendish banana is softer than apple banana. It is mostly used to puree as smoothie. In cooking, this type of banana is also used as a great ingredient in banana recipes such as banana bread, banana cakes and pudding.
There are different types of Cavendish banana such as Dwarf Cavendish banana, Williams Hybrid banana, Valery banana, etc. They are the popular commercial cultivars in the world.
- Lady finger banana
Lady finger banana belongs to Musa Acuminata species. It has origin from Southeast Asia and Australia. Lady finger banana now is still cultivated popularly in some countries in Southeast Asia and Australia.
Lady dinger banana is also called sweet banana. The name is sounded so sweet and it is sweet truly as its name. It has the texture which is soft. Lady finger banana is recognized by the typical feature outside with the appearance that is slim and short more than apple banana and Cavendish banana. It looks lovely as woman finger. It is mostly used in raw status not in the cooking popularly as apple banana and Cavendish one. It is sweeter when it turns to be ripe deeply and its peel turns to be very thin.
