What Do Bananas Taste Like? An Exploration of the World's Favorite Fruit

What do bananas taste like? Delicious, yes, but we’ll try to be a bit more descriptive and describe several varieties. Bananas are a staple in many diets around the world, known not only for their distinctive shape and bright yellow color but also for their unique taste.

But how do you describe the flavor of a banana to someone who’s never tried one? And how do the flavors differ among the various banana varieties? Let’s peel back the layers and dive in!

What do bananas taste like?

Did you know that the artificial banana flavoring commonly used in candies, puddings, and other products often tastes quite different from the typical bananas we eat today?

That’s because the artificial flavor was likely based on the “Gros Michel” banana variety, which was the primary banana cultivated and consumed in the early 20th century.

However, Panama disease nearly wiped out the Gros Michel in the 1950s. As a result, the banana industry shifted to the Cavendish variety, which is what most people eat today.

The Gros Michel is said to have a richer and sweeter taste, more akin to the artificial banana flavor we’re familiar with. So, when you taste banana-flavored candy, you’re getting a hint of a bygone banana era!

Let’s dive in: What do bananas taste like?

The Basic Banana Flavor Profile

Fruit bowl with banana, custard apple, pineapple, and ginger

At its core, a banana’s taste is sweet and creamy with hints of apple, vanilla, and perhaps a touch of strawberry. The texture is soft and slightly chewy, often described as custard-like.

A ripe banana is generally sweeter than its green counterpart, which can be slightly bitter and starchy. The sweetness comes from the sugars developed during the ripening process.

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Overripe vs. Underripe Bananas

The answer to ‘What do bananas taste like’ can change significantly as it ripens:

Underripe (Green) Bananas: They have a firmer texture and a slightly waxy and bitter taste. This is due to the higher starch content, which hasn’t yet broken down into simpler sugars.
Perfectly Ripe Bananas: Characterized by their bright yellow skin and small brown specks, they literally hit the sweet spot. The texture is creamy, and the flavors are well-balanced.
Overripe Bananas: When the skin becomes brown or nearly black, the fruit has a much sweeter taste and a more pronounced banana flavor, but can have a mushy texture. These bananas are often used in baking because of their enhanced sweetness and moisture content.

Banana Varieties and Their Distinct Flavors

While the Cavendish banana is the most widely recognized and consumed variety worldwide, there are many other types, each with its own unique flavor:

Cavendish Bananas: The standard banana most people are familiar with. It’s sweet with a creamy texture.
Red Bananas: Slightly smaller than the Cavendish, red bananas have a deep red or maroon rind when ripe. They taste sweet, but with a hint of raspberry flavor.
Apple Bananas (Manzano Bananas): These are shorter, plumper bananas that, as the name suggests, have an apple-like flavor mixed with strawberry. They’re very sweet and have a rich, creamy texture.
Burro Bananas: These bananas have a more lemony and tangy taste, with a hint of vanilla. They’re squared in shape and are ripe when the skin turns yellow with black spots.
Plantains: Though they look like big bananas, plantains are more starchy and less sweet. They’re usually cooked and can taste differently based on their ripeness: green ones are very starchy, yellow ones are semi-sweet, and black ones are the sweetest and softest.
Lady Finger (or Baby) Bananas: These tiny bananas pack a sweet punch. They have a more pronounced banana flavor and are often described as both creamy and tangy.
Dwarf Ducasse: Dwarf Ducasse bananas are known for their exceptionally sweet flavor, often described as hints of vanilla or even a slight strawberry undertone. The texture is creamy, making them perfect for both snacking and culinary uses. They offer a richer taste compared to the common Cavendish banana.
Pisang Raja (King Banana): Hailing from Indonesia, the Pisang Raja is a favorite for making banana fritters. It has a sweet and creamy flavor, combined with hints of honey and jackfruit, making it distinctively aromatic.
Goldfinger Bananas: Resistant to many banana diseases, this hardy fruit was developed in Honduras. It’s a flatter banana with a hint of apple and strawberry in its taste. It can be eaten fresh or cooked.
Saba Banana: Native to the Philippines, the Saba banana is often used for cooking rather than eaten raw. It’s plumper, with a squared-off shape, and delivers a sweetish taste with a bit of tartness. It’s especially delicious when caramelized or used in desserts like ‘banana cue.’
Rajapuri Banana: Originating from India, Rajapuri bananas are sweet and creamy. They are medium-sized, and the plants are robust, making them popular among home gardeners. The bananas are best consumed when fully ripe to enjoy their rich sweetness.

Influence of Growing Conditions

Big healthy banana tree with pups (new offsets). What do bananas taste like?

The taste of bananas can also vary based on where they’re grown. Soil, climate, and farming practices can all influence flavor.

When we savor a banana, we’re not just tasting the fruit itself but also a reflection of the environment in which it thrived. Several elements contribute to a banana’s flavor:

Soil

The soil type a banana plant grows in can significantly influence its taste. Volcanic soils, rich in minerals and often found in places like the Canary Islands or parts of Hawaii, can imbue bananas with a depth of flavor that might be described as richer or more intense.

Bananas cultivated in sandy soils, which drain faster and might not retain as many nutrients, could give them a milder taste. Clay soils, which retain water well, can impact the sweetness and texture of the banana due to the different moisture levels the plants would experience.

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Climate and weather

The climate – tropical, subtropical, or temperate – affects the growth cycle and ripening process of the banana. Regions with consistent rainfall and warmth might produce bananas that are sweeter and more uniformly textured.

Areas that experience unpredictable weather patterns or fluctuations in temperature can lead to varied flavors, even within the same banana bunch.

Farming Practices

The methods by which bananas are cultivated can also influence their taste. For instance, organic farming, where no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers are used, might lead to bananas with a more pronounced natural flavor.

The use of natural composts and manures can also introduce different minerals and nutrients to the soil, subtly altering the fruit’s taste. Bananas grown in more intensive, industrialized settings might taste different due to the use of specific fertilizers or growth regulators.

Each banana tells a story not just of its variety, but of the land it comes from, the climate, and the care with which it was grown. So, the next time you bite into one, remember you’re tasting a piece of the place it was born in and the journey it underwent to reach your palate!

Conclusion

To truly understand and appreciate the diverse world of bananas, try a banana other than the standard supermarket Cavendish!

By trying different varieties, you’ll discover that there’s so much more to this wonderful fruit than first meets the eye (or the palate).

The next time you’re at a specialty grocery store or farmers’ market, don’t hesitate to pick up a type of banana you’ve never tasted before – you might just find a new favorite!

What Do Bananas Taste Like? An Exploration of the World’s Favorite Fruit