What's up with those stubby little bananas?

I recall hearing that, too - one of those little bits of info that just sticks with you over the years. The folks at AskOxford, however, have this to say:

[quote]Is a banana a fruit or a herb?

Both. A banana (the yellow thing you peel and eat) is undoubtedly a fruit (containing the seeds of the plant: see answer regarding tomatoes), though since commercially grown banana plants are sterile, the seeds are reduced to little specks. However, the banana plant, though it is called a ‘banana-tree’ in popular usage, is technically regarded as a herbaceous plant (or ‘herb’), not a tree, because the stem does not contain true woody tissue.[/quote]
BTW, there are others who say it’s a berry.

Sheesh, I just got out for five months. :astonished:

On the upside, I did finish that research project on the banana-eating habits of preliterate civilizations. Basically, I deconstructed the banana/plantain binary opposition in order to demonstrate the ineluctabile historicity of banana fetishism. The results are forthcoming in a special issue of the International Journal of Musaceaenism.

The picture and description at the end seem like local bajiao.

Taiwan is The Definitive Banana Republic once again !

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Those little guys are tasty.

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MIT, Taiwan #1.

The local gangstas say Taiwan Lampah one

You figure it out

If only… :sunglasses:

Compared to the most common variety, these small bananas have a taste that reminds me kiwis. I like them a lot.

If OP is referring to ladyfinger bananas, they’re fucking delicious. I could eat 5 in a row.

Much sweeter and tastier than the generic cavendish banana that is mass produced all over the world.

@DrewC

But could you eat 7?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAOVEd1RgOY

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Taiwan is really maturing in food taste these years, I’m quite happy now much variety is showing up outside the north. The dwarf and giant red bananas I grew and tried wholesaling a decade ago wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. Now they’re everywhere!

Some e Malaysian deliciousness.
P_20181005_151208

P_20181002_140440

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Love those lil chewy nanners. The superior nanner for sure.

All over the place lately. They’re called kluay khai in Thai. Probably they figured out they could grow here

Looks great.

They are a lot better than normal bananas.

You mean these?

image

They look a like closer to what wild bananas look like. Not the giant mutant genetically modified ones we enjoy

From reading the banana.org link above some of those bananas may be Musa Formosana a species native to Taiwan. Some may be MuSA Basjoo which originated in China and was also cultivated in Japan and probably Taiwan.

It’s not clear to me if the bajiao we typically eat in Taiwan are the local species or not. I suspect they may be. Or at least cultivated from it.

The local banana species is very powdery, starchy and chewy not weird wet looking thing like in that photo.

No not those. Those look gross.

I mean these

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I used to think the little fat guys were plantains as well, but the Latino crowd keeps telling me NO. I’m not sure exactly what they are

Musa basjoo or Musa Forumosana :slight_smile:
They can grow in relatively colder areas.

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