Bananas are the world’s most popular fruit, with more than 150 countries cultivating over 105 million tonnes every year. However the banana is not a fruit, it is a herb that grows up to 15 metres high. There are nearly 1000 banana varieties which are divided into 50 groups. The most familiar of these is the Cavendish variety, that is grown for the export market.
Origin of bananas.
Bananas are a staple crop for tropical farmers, they offer a readily absorbed, easy to digest source of carbohydrates and vitamins. The history of the banana dates way back into the ancient world.
Archeologists believe that bananas were first domesticated in the Kuk Valley in New Guinea, around 8,000 BC. Domestication of the banana appears to have spread from New Guinea to the Philippines and then across the tropics, from there it is most likely that domestication ocured in India, Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia. Buddhist literature references the banana in 600 B.C. The Japanese were harvesting specific banana varieties, in order to use their fibres for textiles. Using special techniques involving lye soaks they were able to produce textiles soft enough for kimonos or coarse enough for a table cloth.
Bananas developed to a worldwide trade commodity in the early nineteenth century. Merchants shipped them from the Caribbean to markets in America and Europe in the early 1800s. Merchants visiting local marketplaces would ship small bunches to overseas markets, marking the beginning of the banana’s place in the global trade market. The banana was first introduced to New York in 1804 where curious customers were sold them as a novelty fruit. In September 1888, Fyffes, (a British Banana supplier) received their first consignment of bananas.
Health benefits of bananas
Like the avocado the banana is an excellent source of nutrition, it is a great source of fibre, potassium and carbohydrates as well as Vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Bananas have a lower water content than the majority of fruit and contain more calories and a higher natural sugar content compared to non-tropical fruits. 100 grams of banana provides 89kcal, 22.8g of carbohydrate, 2.6g fibre and 12.2g of natural sugar.
An unripe or green banana has a higher starch content, it is during the ripening process that this starch converts to sugar, which in turn makes the fruit sweeter. Unripe bananas are a source of the dietary fibre pectin. As the fruit ripens it is the break down of pectin that causes the the banana to become softer. As well as helping to regulate bowel function pectin can help to lower cholesterol levels.
Bananas and Food Waste
A recent government study has shown that in the U.K, people throw away 1.4 million bananas every day, at a cost of £80 million. 30% of consumers throw away a banana that has a minor bruise or black mark on the skin. 13% would also throw the fruit away if it has any green on the skin. With this in mind here are 10 fantastic ideas to use up any over ripe bananas that may be in your kitchen.
Are bananas facing extinction?
Unfortunately it is not just alarming levels of waste that the banana is faced with. Banana farmers in Jordan and Mozambique have seen their plants rotting from the inside. This is due to a fungus known as Tropical Race 4, a strain of Panama disease which is slowly spreading to crops throughout Asia. Scientists are concerned that the soil-borne fungi is getting closer to South America, the source of 70% of the worlds banana exports.
This is not the first time that the banana crop has faced being wiped out. Between 1903 and 1966 the race 1 strain of Panama disease wiped out every trace of the banana variety known as “Big Mike”. Big Mike or Gros Micheal was replaced by the race 1 resistant banana variety the Cavendish.
The art of Bananas
Dutch artist Stephan Brusche uses the banana as his medium. His innovative approach combines the shape of the banana and ink to create remarkably creative pieces. His work on the banana ranges from pop art focused images of celebrites to animals and religious iconography. For more examples of his “fruit doodles” take a look at his website or his Instagram.
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