is a banana a fruit

[10] The leaves of banana plants are composed of a "stalk" (petiole) and a blade (lamina). [20] In cultivated varieties, the seeds are diminished nearly to non-existence; their remnants are tiny black specks in the interior of the fruit. At lower temperatures, ripening permanently stalls, and the bananas turn gray as cell walls break down. [56] In 650, Islamic conquerors brought the banana to Palestine. The world's largest producers of bananas in 2017 were India and China, which together accounted for approximately 38% of total production.[7]. The fruit is variable in size, color, and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved, with soft flesh rich in starchcovered with a rind, which may be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown when ripe. Curcumin can also limit weight gain. [89][90] Some commentators remarked that those variants which could replace what much of the world considers a "typical banana" are so different that most people would not consider them the same fruit, and blame the decline of the banana on monogenetic cultivation driven by short-term commercial motives. wondering also if when say organic wheat is used in bread using the mother starter rather than the mimic starter known as yeast would ease or eliminate the popular need for non-gluten. These bananas have been specifically bred not to have seeds since banana plants in the wild have large seeds that make it difficult to eat the fruit. Instead of fresh eating, these bananas can be used for cooking, as seen in Jamaican cuisine. He co-founded the literary journal, Sheriff Nottingham, and now serves as the Content Director for Stain’d Arts, a non-profit based in Denver, Colorado. Bananas are nutritious, but also high in sugar and carbs. In 2017, world production of bananas and plantains combined was 153 million tonnes, led by India and China with a combined total of 27% of global production. This virulent form of fusarium wilt destroyed Cavendish in several southeast Asian countries and spread to Australia and India. To a botanist a fruit is “… any ovary and its accessory parts that has developed and matured. Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof. If you are trying to lose weight, honey can be very helpful, you can try it with lemon, cinnamon, or ginger for its effects. Individual banana fruits (commonly known as a banana or "finger") average 125 grams (4 1⁄2 oz), of which approximately 75% is water and 25% dry matter (nutrient table, lower right). [53] It is likely, however, that bananas were brought at least to Madagascar if not to the East African coast during the phase of Malagasy colonization of the island from South East Asia c. 400 CE. Many, if not most, herbs have fruit, including the banana tree. Bananas can be ordered by the retailer "ungassed" (i.e. [29] The name may be derived from Antonius Musa, physician to the Emperor Augustus, or Linnaeus may have adapted the Arabic word for banana, mauz. Like almost all bananas, Cavendish lacks genetic diversity, which makes it vulnerable to diseases, threatening both commercial cultivation and small-scale subsistence farming. For example, the outermost fibers of the shoots are the coarsest, and are suitable for tablecloths, while the softest innermost fibers are desirable for kimono and kamishimo. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We source information from studies, clinical trial findings, and meta-analyses published in peer-reviewed journals. Considered a weed in Asia. [69] The cultivars Dwarf Cavendish and Grand Nain (Chiquita Banana) gained popularity in the 1950s after the previous mass-produced cultivar, Gros Michel (also an AAA group cultivar), became commercially unviable due to Panama disease, caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum which attacks the roots of the banana plant. ", In India, bananas serve a prominent part in many festivals and occasions of Hindus. The plant is allowed to produce two shoots at a time; a larger one for immediate fruiting and a smaller "sucker" or "follower" to produce fruit in 6–8 months. Festival of Sacrifice: The Past and Present of the Islamic Holiday of Eid al-Adha. So by any definition I’m aware of, a banana is a fruit. The Short Answer: There are really two questions here. All rights reserved. It is unclear if any existing cultivar can replace Cavendish bananas, so various hybridisation and genetic engineering programs are attempting to create a disease-resistant, mass-market banana. The fingers on one banana plant grow fused; another produces bunches of a thousand fingers, each only an inch long. [9] Plants are normally tall and fairly sturdy, and are often mistaken for trees, but what appears to be a trunk is actually a "false stem" or pseudostem. A banana corm, about 25 cm (10 in) across, Female flowers have petals at the tip of the ovary, Banana 'tree' showing fruit and inflorescence, Wild banana with flowers and stem growing in reverse direction, Extracted banana's DNA strands that can be seen with naked eyes, The banana plant is the largest herbaceous flowering plant. Which is nice for those of us who love the banana fruit. North American shippers like Lorenzo Dow Baker and Andrew Preston, the founders of the Boston Fruit Company started this process in the 1870s, but railroad builders like Minor C. Keith also participated, eventually culminating in the multi-national giant corporations like today's Chiquita Brands International and Dole. [61] North Americans began consuming bananas on a small scale at very high prices shortly after the Civil War, though it was only in the 1880s that the food became more widespread. Apple trees are trees, not fruit. [98], Banana bacterial wilt (BBW) is a bacterial disease caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. Here’s where I think your doctor’s confusion comes from. Its very large leaves are in sheaths that form a multilayered tube or false trunk. Despite its name, the strawberry isn't a true berry. Cut rosemary on the new growth. Many wild banana species as well as cultivars exist in extraordinary diversity in India, China, and Southeast Asia. Required fields are marked *, 1,239,253 Spambots Blocked by Simple Comments, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. [40] Triploid cultivars derived solely from M. acuminata are examples of "dessert bananas", whereas triploid cultivars derived from the hybrid between M. acuminata and M. balbinosa (in particular the plantain subgroup of the AAB Group) are "plantains". The banana is one of the most popular health foods on earth. How Bananas Affect Diabetes and Blood Sugar Levels, Want to Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease? The Windward Islands are notable for the growing, largely of Cavendish bananas, for an international market, generally in Europe but also in North America. However, the distinction between different types of fruit is less clear — and you may particularly wonder how a banana should be classified. Global Strategy for the Conservation and Use of, "Bananas! [126], In India, a banana fiber separator machine has been developed, which takes the agricultural waste of local banana harvests and extracts strands of the fiber. The banana fruits develop from the banana heart, in a large hanging cluster, made up of tiers (called "hands"), with up to 20 fruit to a tier. The banana has been seen as a sexual symbol, as in the jest, “Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?” But since the banana is the staple food for monkeys, the dreamer may need to get serious about some situation in which they are “monkeying around.”. [3] In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguishing them from dessert bananas. The fruit is variable in size, color, and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved, with soft flesh rich in starch covered with a rind, which may be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown when ripe. A banana (the yellow thing you peel and eat) is undoubtedly a fruit (containing the seeds of the plant: see 'Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? balbisiana.[35]. [17] The inflorescence contains many bracts (sometimes incorrectly referred to as petals) between rows of flowers. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Berries are a subcategory of simple fleshy fruit (1). [103] Banana germplasm is conserved in many national and regional gene banks, and at the world's largest banana collection, the International Musa Germplasm Transit Centre (ITC), managed by Bioversity International and hosted at KU Leuven in Belgium. [87] Ecuador and the Philippines were the leading exporters with 5.4 and 3.3 million tonnes, respectively, and the Dominican Republic was the leading exporter of plantains with 210,350 tonnes. The botanist’s definition would most definitely include bananas, which are the developed ovaries of the banana plant. Though similar, plantains and bananas share key differences in flavor and usage. What’s the Difference Between Fruits and Berries? Your email address will not be published. Therefore, they fulfill the requirements of botanical berries. Areas of secondary diversity are found in Africa, indicating a long history of banana cultivation in these regions. Herbs include almost everything that isn’t considered to be a tree. in the family Musaceae. Although people have argued that bananas are vegetables because they lack seeds, that isn’t actually true. The commercially grown banana is a hybrid of at least two species, Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. [23][24] The banana equivalent dose of radiation was developed in 1995 as a simple teaching-tool to educate the public about the natural, small amount of K-40 radiation occurring in every human and in common foods. 15 Foods That Pack More Potassium Than a Banana. Export bananas are picked green, and ripen in special rooms upon arrival in the destination country. It affects all main cultivars of bananas and plantains (including the Cavendish cultivars[70]), impeding photosynthesis by blackening parts of the leaves, eventually killing the entire leaf. There are starchy cooking bananas which are smaller than those eaten raw. The flowers are unisexual and bisexual. [65], Banana crops are vulnerable to destruction by high winds, such as tropical storms or cyclones.[66]. [119][120] The flavor resembles that of artichoke. As reported for 2013, total world exports were 20 million tonnes of bananas and 859,000 tonnes of plantains. Sap is used as glue. Anonymous. Most pistils are shaped like a vase, with a rounded bulb and a thin neck. (2012). Banana plants are herbaceous and therefore classified as herbs; while apple, peach, and cherry trees are woody-stemmed and classified as trees. The aboveground portion of the banana dies after bearing fruit. For this, you will have to look out for green stems. Banana plants are herbaceous and therefore classified as herbs; while apple, peach, and cherry trees are woody-stemmed and classified as trees. Apples are fruits, not trees. That is why they’re often found in clusters and categorized as aggregate fruit (3). Although bananas are commonly thought to contain exceptional potassium content,[26][106] their actual potassium content is not high per typical food serving, having only 8% of the US recommended Daily Value for potassium (considered a low level of the DV, see nutrition table), and their potassium-content ranking among fruits, vegetables, legumes, and many other foods is relatively moderate. [61] Jules Verne introduces bananas to his readers with detailed descriptions in Around the World in Eighty Days (1872). Foundation characteristics of edible musa triploids revealed from allelic distribution of ssr markers. Therefore, all berries are fruit but not all fruits are berries. The endocarp must also be soft and may enclose one or more seeds (2). The banana plant is the largest type of herbaceous flowering plant and it grows in a variety of different soils as long as they have good drainage. The bag is then sealed with a band or string. Bananas are eaten deep fried, baked in their skin in a split bamboo, or steamed in glutinous rice wrapped in a banana leaf.