While plain old ordinary yellow bananas are nothing new or fun, there’s a whole world of bananas out there many of us are unaware of. Believe it or not, a number of different shapes, colors and flavors are to be found in the bananaverse.
Swipe through for an introduction to 8 types of bananas.
When you picture a stereotypical banana, you’re almost certainly imagining a Cavendish. Unlike apples, for example, of which Americans regularly enjoy a wide variety of cultivars, the Cavendish banana has come to dominate supermarkets stateside and now accounts for nearly half of all banana production worldwide. The dense, creamy, and mildly sweet qualities of the Cavendish make it a popular candidate for both eating raw and using as an ingredient in baking.
This staple of Caribbean, Central American and African cuisine is often separated from the other true bananas on this list and called a cooking banana. Plantains are derived from a different species of banana tree and, unlike their banana relatives, are not sweet. They're almost always cooked into savory dishes before consumption. Plantains have a high starch content and can be prepared into various dishes and snacks at every stage of development.
Red bananas’ namesake striking rusty red peel makes them stand out from their yellow counterparts in supermarkets. And though they may look out of place next to the familiar Cavendish, red bananas contain denser flesh and a sweeter flavor with a hint of raspberry compared to their yellow cousins. They even contain more nutrients than a Cavendish, and do just as well when used in cooking or baking.
Photography: Pinterest/Mashed
These petite yellow bananas make up for their small figure with a delicious, honey-like flavor that earns them the nickname sugar banana and makes them a popular choice in Oceania and Southeast Asia, where they originated. Like other yellow bananas, lady fingers are equally suitable for a raw snack or preparation into a dessert, but they have a leg up when it comes to their impressive ability to resist browning.
Photography: Pinterest/Minneopa Orchards
If you like the sweetness of a Cavendish banana but wish it weren’t so starchy, the Pisang Raja is a banana cultivated for you! This irresistibly creamy fruit contains almost no starch, giving it an incredibly smooth texture. Paired with some sweet, apple-like notes to complement its flavor, it's no wonder the pisang raja, which translates to king banana in Indonesian, is such a hit as a street snack in Southeast Asia.
Photography: Pinterest/Info Pertanian
Unlike red bananas, blue Java bananas aren’t likely to look particularly out of place on a grocery display. Though this fruit’s peel is a beautiful blue-green when under-ripe, it becomes a familiar yellow when ready to eat. Amazingly, blue Javas are perhaps even creamier than pisang rajas, earning them the nickname ice cream banana. Though again native to Southeast Asia, these hardy bananas can be grown in a wider range of climates than most other cultivars and sport a subtle tartness.
Photography: Pinterest/Envols
Visually curious less for its color than for its stubby, almost square-like shape, the burro banana is a delicious option for lemon lovers. This banana’s uniquely tangy flavor has long made it a popular fruit of Latin America. Burro bananas develop a softer outer flesh and a slightly crisp center as they mature and, like plantains, are frequently used as an ingredient in cooking, but still make for a tasty treat when eaten raw.
Photography: Pinterest/Miami Fruit
Another product of Central and South America and the Caribbean, manzano bananas live up to their Spanish name with a sweet, apple-esque fruity flavor. This banana is smaller than a Cavendish and larger than a burro, but is sweeter than both. Unlike many others, these bananas are actually fully ripe and best enjoyed when their peels have turned completely black, so don’t fret if they’re not yellow for long!
Photography: Pinterest/DoorDash