The Journey of a Banana
We may take for granted that a yellow banana greets us at the supermarket, but the journey for that one piece of fruit is a long one, especially for a fruit that can go bad rather quickly.
Where Do Bananas Grow?
Bananas are considered a fruit, but botanically they are classified as a berry. The banana plant is the largest herbaceous flowering plant and grows to about ten feet in height. Most banana plants grow within 30 degrees of the equator in 150 different countries spread around the globe.
There is no growing season for bananas, and they are available year-round. The time between planting a banana plant and the harvest is between 9 and 12 months, and a bunch on a banana plant produces around 170 bananas.
The Banana’s Trip
A banana’s journey from their faraway growing regions to a place like the United States is made possible in modern times because of the advances in refrigeration. The banana bunches are cut down when they are still solid green on the banana plant. This is the first stage of ripening out of seven stages that the industry uses. The almost exclusive variety of bananas being shipped to the…
