Consumption in food

In many countries bananas are one of the main sources of food – for example only in Ecuador the annual consumption of this product is 73.8 kg per capita (for comparison, in Russia this figure is 7.29 kg). A significant proportion of banana consumption also accounts for Burundi (189.4 kg), Samoa (85.0 kg), Comoros (77.8 kg) and Philippines (40.6 kg). The average American eats up to 150 kg per year (2020s)
bananas.

Edible varieties of bananas are conditionally divided into two main groups: dessert, consumed, mainly in raw or dried form, and plantains (or plátano), which before use requires heat treatment. The pulp of dessert varieties is very sweet in taste, contains a large amount of carbohydrates, vitamin C and some necessary for the body
minerals such as phosphorus, iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium (see table of nutritional
properties below).

Sycamore (from the Spanish name for plane tree – plátano, which in turn goes back to Latin plantāgin – plantain stalk) – as a rule, fruits with green or red peel and starchy, hard and unsweetened pulp; they are fried before eating, boiled or steamed. In addition to eating, plantains are often used in as feed for livestock

Almost all currently grown bananas (both dessert varieties and plane trees) are variations (or cultivars) of one cultigen (artificial species created by man) Musa × paradisiaca, which is a hybrid of the pointed banana (Musa acuminata), banana Balbis (Musa balbisiana) and less often Maclay’s banana (Musa maclayi)

Blackened bananas have five times more low molecular weight sugars and less starch than yellow.

Varieties

In total, about 500 cultivated varieties of bananas are known, but some of them are little known or no longer cultivated due to disease. The world’s largest collection of bananas, which includes more than 470 varieties and about 100 species, is located in the municipality La Lima in Honduras.

Diploids (cultivars with a diploid set in the nucleus (2n)

Lady Finger, or Lady’s Finger (“Lady Finger”, “Date”, “Fig”, “Dedo de Dama”, etc.) is a plant up to 7.5 m high, with a thin stem and a well-developed root system. The fruits are small – 10-12.5 cm long, light yellow with red-brown strokes, with a thick skin, slightly ribbed. In a bunch of 12-20 fruits. The pulp is soft and very sweet. Wide
cultivated in Australia; also common in Latin America. The variety is resistant to drought, Panama disease and rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae). Compared to the variety Gros-Michel is less transportable.

Triploids (cultivars with a triploid set in the nucleus (3n)

Triploids (cultivars with a triploid set in the nucleus (3n)
Gros-Michel is one of the best-selling banana varieties in North America and Europe. Cultivated in Central America and Central
Africa. tall plant; fruits with thick skin, large, yellow, sweet, with a lot of starch. Has good transportability. The variety began to rapidly degrade under the influence of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense causing Panama disease. In recent years almost nothing has been cultivated.

Dwarf Cavendish is a low (1.8-2.4 m) plant with wide leaves. Resistant to low (up to 0 °C) temperatures. The fruits are bright yellow, medium-sized, thin-skinned. Outwardly, this variety differs in that, unlike others, when it blooms, male flowers do not fall off, but dry up, while remaining on the pedicel. On the peel of ripe fruits (like other varieties from the Cavendish group), small brown spots appear. It grows in West and South Africa, as well as in the Canary Islands. This variety is susceptible to black weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) and roundworms (Nematoda).

Giant Cavendish (“Mons Mari”, “Williams”, “Williams Hybrid”) –
plant 2.5-5 m tall. In comparison with the “Dwarf Cavendish” the fruits are thicker-skinned and larger. Cultivated in Taiwan, Hawaii, Colombia,
Australia, Martinique and Ecuador.

Lakatan (“Pisang masak hijau”) – the tallest plant from the Cavendish group – the height is 420-490 cm; fruit length 15-20 cm Grows in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Jamaica. Leaves with red edges. Sensitive to black weevil and roundworms. Currently not grown on an industrial scale due to poor fruit keeping quality.

Robusta

Another variety from the Cavendish group, close to the Lakatan variety, however, compared to it, it is shorter. It is cultivated on an industrial scale in Brazil, Samoa, Fiji and Australia. Recently, more and more is grown in the Caribbean and Central America, where it is replacing Lacatan and Gros Michel.

Valery

One of the tallest plants from the Cavendish group. In terms of nutritional properties, it almost does not differ from Robusta, but the fruit, unlike other varieties of this group, hardens when cooked and resembles wax in consistency. Resistant to Panama disease, but susceptible to black weevil and roundworms.

Ice Cream (“Cenizo”, “Krie”)

Tall (300-450 cm) plant with a long flower stem. Grown in the Hawaiian Islands, the Philippines and Central America. Fruit 17.5-22.8 cm long. Unlike other varieties, when unripe it has a bluish color with a silvery tint, and when ripe it becomes pale yellow. The pulp is white, sweet.

Mysore (“Fillbasket”, “Poovan”)

The Indian variety, 420-480 cm tall; occupies about 70% of the entire banana industry in this country. Named after the city of Mysore, the second largest city in the state of Karnataka. Also grown in Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and Ceylon. Resistant to Panama disease. The fruits are medium in size, thin-skinned, bright yellow, sweet and sour in taste.

Rajapuri

Also an Indian variety, 210-240 cm tall. Grown in small areas on the periphery of fields; resistant to strong winds, infertile soils and even light frosts. In comparison with other varieties, the leaves are wider – up to 90 cm. The fruit is large and very sweet.

Nutritional properties of bananas per 100 g of product