Banana

A banana is an elongated and edible fruit, classified as a botanical berry, and it originates from various species of sizable, herbaceous flowering plants within the Musa genus. In certain regions, bananas intended for cooking may be termed "plantains," differentiating them from the dessert-oriented variety. The fruit displays a range of dimensions, colors, and textures, yet typically maintains an elongated and curved form. It features soft flesh abundant in starch, enclosed by a peel that can assume shades of green, yellow, red, purple, or brown upon ripening. The fruits are grouped together and grow in clusters near the upper part of the plant. The vast majority of modern seedless and edible bananas (known as parthenocarpic) derive from two wild species: Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. The names assigned to most cultivated bananas include Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, and Musa × paradisiaca for the hybrid Musa acuminata × M. balbisiana. These names differ based on their genetic makeup. The former scientific name for this hybrid, Musa sapientum, is no longer utilized.

The Musa species are indigenous to the tropical regions of Indomalaya and Australia, and they likely underwent their initial domestication in New Guinea. They are grown across 135 countries, primarily for their fruit, and to a lesser extent for fiber, banana wine, banana beer, and sometimes even as decorative plants. In 2017, India and China emerged as the world's primary banana producers, contributing to approximately 38% of the total production when combined. By 2023, India was annually producing nearly 30.5 million tons of bananas, a figure slightly below 20 million tons higher than China's production.

Globally, the distinction between "bananas" and "plantains" is not always clearly defined. Particularly in the Americas and Europe, "banana" usually refers to sweet, soft dessert bananas, particularly those of the Cavendish group, which constitute the principal exports from banana-producing nations. In the United States, as of 2019, these bananas are the most commonly consumed fresh fruit by weight. On the other hand, Musa cultivars with denser, more starchy fruit are designated as "plantains." In various other regions, like Southeast Asia, a broader variety of banana types are cultivated and consumed, rendering the strict binary classification less applicable and not as prevalent in local languages.

Additionally, the term "banana" also functions as the general name for the plants that bear this fruit. This label extends to other members of the Musa genus, such as the scarlet banana (Musa coccinea), the pink banana (Musa velutina), and the Fe'i bananas. It can even include members of the Ensete genus, like the snow banana (Ensete glaucum) and the economically significant false banana (Ensete ventricosum). Both of these genera belong to the banana family, Musaceae.