Many are deeply mistaken in thinking that they saw the smallest bananas in their lives . In particular, for residents of Russia it is not at all simple. As you know, dwarf banana varieties grow mainly in Asian countries. For example, in India they can be found in large numbers in any food market. What is remarkable for such fruits and why do knowledgeable people prefer them to larger specimens?
Variety of species
The first official mention of bananas dates from around the 9th century BC. This is one of the oldest foods that people thought was simply an edible plant and was eaten along with the rest of the tropical fruits. In nature, about five hundred different varieties of bananas are known, which differ in fruit size, color of their peel, taste and condition of the pulp. In any eastern bazaar, you can find several different species at once. The most popular of them is Poovan. Indians are very fond of him. Robusta moris with thin and slightly curved fruits is also a fairly well-known species. It is exported. It is this variety of bananas that can be found in every Russian store. Mysore rastali deserves special attention. These are the smallest peaked bananas with a characteristic yellow peel.
Their delicate white flesh is very sweet in taste without a hint of any sourness. Some are used to thinking that small bananas are those that could not reach a certain length in the growth process. In fact, the size in no way speaks of any problems in the development of the fetus. Each type and grade has a specific product length.
Rare specimens
In nature, sometimes there are such products, the appearance of which sometimes allows us to doubt their suitability for food. For example, there are blue, pink, green, orange, red and even black bananas. The unusual coloring of the peel is just a natural anomaly and an extra confirmation of the diversity of species. In addition, each variety corresponds to fruits of a certain size. Really giant bananas come across. For example, Kluay fruits are considered the largest. On average, their length reaches 35 centimeters. But there are real giants up to half a meter. And the smallest bananas are Senorita. The ripe fruit of such a plant is sometimes even difficult to hold in their hands, since they are in length from 2.5 to 5 centimeters. Nevertheless, these are some of the sweetest and most delicious bananas. Eating them is not always convenient, but very pleasant. In Russia, they are almost impossible to find. Such varieties, as a rule, are not exported. But at home they are considered an excellent treat.
Mini products
An interesting variety that has become familiar to all tropical fruits is mini-bananas. Their main difference from other species is size. With external similarity to ordinary products, the length of such bananas does not exceed 12 centimeters. In the people they are also called "dwarf" or Baby banana.
Such babies have another feature: their flesh is very sweet in taste and has a rich, pronounced aroma. The birthplace of these babies is considered Malaysia. It was from here that they were first brought to Asian countries and only then came to Africa. On the American continent, bananas were much later. They were introduced by the Spaniards during the seizure of free land. But now, countries like Mexico and Ecuador are the main suppliers of bananas around the world. The mini-fruits of a popular tropical plant are usually eaten as an independent product or used as an ingredient for preparing various dishes (salads, desserts, cereals, pies, omelettes and even soups). In addition, mini-bananas are fried on charcoal, canned and even made chips from them.
Positive properties
Before you eat this or that product, you need to learn more about it. Only then will it be possible to judge its positive or negative effect on the body. Scientists have done a lot of research in this direction, separately paying attention to small bananas. Their benefit to humans turned out to be almost the same as that of standard copies:
- a large amount of fiber contained in the pulp has a beneficial effect on the digestive system;
- Vitamin C contained in them helps the body resist infectious and various viral diseases, and also strengthens the immune system;
- vitamin E together with carotene reduce the risk of thrombosis;
- ascorbic acid fights free radicals, slowing down the aging process of the body itself;
- B vitamins have a positive effect on the condition of the skin and hair;
- Due to the huge amount of amino acids, bananas are considered an excellent natural antioxidant;
- providing a relaxing effect on the pulmonary muscles, these products help relieve spasms in people with sick bronchi or lungs;
- the use of bananas activates the production of serotonin in the human body, helping to get rid of depression and other mental problems;
- potassium helps the brain and strengthens the muscle system.
Mini fruits are known to be sweeter and have a pronounced taste. Due to this, the content of trace elements and many vitamins in them is much higher than that of bananas of normal sizes.
Price of pleasure
Each banana variety has a price. This must be remembered when going shopping. True, in our stores all bananas are almost the same. But in Asia, this difference is more noticeable.
Buyers sometimes wonder why small bananas are more expensive than large bananas. Moreover, sometimes the price for them can be 1.5-2 times higher. There is an explanation for this:
- Miniature fruits have the best flavoring properties. They are much sweeter and more aromatic. It is clear that the demand for such bananas will always be higher.
- Among large specimens, food varieties are often found. They are less aromatic and not very tasty.
- If we talk about such rare specimens as Senorita, then they are delivered mainly from South America. Therefore, their delivery is much more expensive. And the yield of such varieties is relatively low. All this necessarily affects the price.
In addition, in small bananas due to the thinner peel, the percentage of pulp is much higher. This fact must be taken into account by sellers when setting the price of their goods.