12 Different Types of Bananas – An Overview

Bananas are some of the most popular tropical fruits in the world. Interestingly, a banana isn’t technically a fruit but a berry because it’s formed by a flower with one seed and ovary.

These fruits (or berries) have the versatility to make up part of breakfast, lunch, or dinner and can be eaten as a snack as well. Bananas complement many dishes and are used widely in salads and cooking applications.

While there are many varieties of bananas, they all have a thin skin, starchy texture, and sweet flavor when ripe. Still, they have their differences. The following are 12 common types of bananas and their characteristics.

The 12 Different Types of Bananas

1. Cavendish Bananas

Cavendish bananas are long and have an under-ripe green, which transforms into a mellow yellow with minimal brown spotting when fully ripened. They’re common and make up most of the sweet banana varieties sold in grocery stores.

While the perfect ripeness depends on your taste, too much makes the Cavendish banana go squashy. Their ripening is quick and continuous after picking, especially at room temperate or if wrapped in a paper bag.

2. Burro Bananas

Also called the Orinoco, Hog, and Horse Banana, Burro bananas resemble the Cavendish variety. However, they’re shorter and squat in shape and size, differing from their sweet-fleshed cousins in flavor and texture when ripe. Burros are acidic and have a lemon-tang flavor.

Besides their savory taste, Burro bananas have a soft flesh that’s creamy yellow and firm in the middle. A favorite for banana fritters, they’re native to the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela and widely cultivated in Latin American plantations.

3. Lady’s Finger Bananas

Exceptionally sweet, Lady’s Finger bananas are shorter in size than an average Cavendish and thrive in tropical rainforest climates. At maturity, this fruit turns bright yellow while the flesh is firm and sweet, softening further with ripening.

Lady’s Finger bananas grow from tall banana trees towering from five to 25 feet, but the fruit itself rarely exceeds six inches in length. They’re sweeter than most banana varieties and perfect for smoothies and baked goodies. Since they resist oxidation longer, they are a common condiment in salads but also suited to banana bread when over-ripe.

4. Red Bananas

Red bananas are the easiest to identify due to their maroon or thick reddish-purple skins. However, they’re only in these hues before maturity, after which they turn a bright yellow-orange.

Red bananas are sweeter than Cavendish, with some varieties having raspberry or earthy flavors. The banana is native to regions of Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East, where it’s often consumed raw or in smoothies.

5. Blue Java Bananas

The Blue Java gets its name from the unique silver blue hue of its baby plantains, which turn a canary yellow color on ripening. In contrast to common varieties, this fruit is rectangular shaped, small and plump and has a delicate peel.

Blue Java bananas are creamy and have a sweet custard flavor, hence the name ice cream banana. Despite their delicate appearance, Javas are hardy and can withstand high temperatures or winds.

6. Pisang Raja Bananas

Another favorite for making banana fritters is the Pisang Raja banana. This variety originates from Indonesia and is also called Musa Belle. The banana’s flavor is reminiscent of custard with a honey tang, and its texture is slightly grainy.

Pisang Raja translates to Banana King and is the main ingredient of sought-after Indonesian street snacks.

7. Rajapuri Bananas

Hailing from India, Rajapuri bananas are delicious and have a flesh that’s dense, creamy and fairly firm. They’re curved, cylindrical and have pointed edges. Their skin is thin, smooth and easy to peel when ripe.

Rajapuri bananas are suited to cooking and raw applications as they are high-sugared bananas, even when green and unripe.

8. Manzano Bananas

The term manzano translated from Spanish, means apple trees. Manzano bananas are called Apple bananas for their sweetness which has hints of apples, strawberries, and pineapples. They’re short, thick-skinned plump fruits with a creamy flesh of a velvety texture.

These bananas taste best when their skin has blackened with ripeness. Cultivated in central and south America, they regularly feature in pies, ice cream and puddings or eaten raw.

9. Thousand Fingers Bananas

Thousand Fingers look like Cavendish bananas but only grow to about one and a half inches long. This seedless fruit has a green skin before ripening but turns bright yellow when fully ripe.

Thousand Fingers bananas grow in their hundreds per cluster, thus the name “thousand.” Their pale yellow flesh is sweet and has a hint of brown sugar. You can eat them raw on ripening or cut them up into baked recipes and salads, together with other tropical fruits.

10. Pisang Mas Bananas

Pisang Mas bananas are short, squat, and slightly curved. Their flesh, which ripens to a pale creamy color, has a fruity aroma and a honey-like taste.

Banana connoisseurs favor Pisang Mas bananas for their oxidation resistance, meaning they don’t readily turn brown when sliced. They’re used in baking and sautéing applications, in fruit salads, or you can consume them raw.

11. Hopa Bananas

Depending on the variety, Hopa bananas will vary in shape and size, but they’re generally bulbous and have a cylindrical shape with square curved edges. Further, their thick skin is waxy and smooth, with angular ridges extending along the length.

When unripe, the flesh of Hopa bananas is firm and has a starchy texture consistent with potatoes. It turns subtly sweet and creamy when cooked but ripens into neutral flavored, soft pulp due to the conversion of starch to sugar.

12. Saba Bananas

Short, thick, and angled, a bunch of Saba bananas can weigh up to 80 pounds, and each hand contains over twenty fruit. While their sizes vary depending on maturity, they’re typically between two and five inches long.

Besides a blocky shape with sharp angles, Saba bananas have a thick skin that helps protect them during harvesting and shipment. These bananas have dense, white flesh and are cooked to sweeten spicy food. They are also eaten raw when ripe.

Final Thoughts

While there are differences in the appearance and taste of bananas across different varieties, these fruits are very close to each other and have the same nutritional value. Cavendish bananas are the most common in local markets, but other varieties are available as well. Next time you go shopping, don’t just say banana; call it by its name.

Featured Image Credit: Peggychoucair, Pixabay