Going Bananas

In North American supermarkets almost all the bananas sold are the Cavendish variety, a good , hardy and seedless example that we all grew up with. On the rare occasion one will find baby Thai bananas for sale at very high prices, but fhor the most part, when we think banana, we think Cavendish.

Here in Thailand, it's a completely different story. I did a few Google searches to find out just how many varieties of bananas are grown here, but, depending on the source that number varies wildly. Some claim 20, 28, 50 to ‘over a hundred’ – all with a preferred use. As with apples, some are better eaten raw, some stand out when cooked.

Visually, some are long and thin, others short and pudgy. Some are bigger than the Cavedish, others are the size of my pinkie finger. Some have a yellow/gold flesh, others are milky white. Some are almost paste-like in texture, others creamy and unctuous.

Here in Phuket, our accomodations are just around the corner from a market where, over no more than 30 meters, I spotted at least eight different varieties of bananas.

It looks like we may be seeing more of these different varieties in North America in the future. The Cavendish crop is under attack by Panama Disease, a fungal disease that wiped out the commercial production of the Gros Michel banana in the 1950's. At that time, the Gros Michel was the dominant variety available.

For now, Brenda and I will get a head start on sampling what may be headed to North American supermarkets somewhere down the road.Read more