Author Topic: Favorite banana?  (Read 2707 times)

Jeramyl

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Favorite banana?
« on: March 17, 2023, 01:09:32 AM »
Sorry, if this is a repeat, but I didn’t find the answer in the search.  Had a nice ice cream banana planted up on the back hill and a friendly gopher, decided I planted it just for him!  Gopher is gone now.

I think I will plant two different varieties now. I would like a variety that isn’t one of the tallest, if possible.

I’ve really enjoyed the small bananas I’ve found in other countries that have a flavor different than traditional banana.  Sometimes seem like it’s a mix with apple and berries.

Anyone have a favorite or two?  I’m in zone 10b, coastal San Diego.  Happy to purchase from the forum.

Thanks in advance!

1rainman

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2023, 03:38:45 AM »
I think there was already a thread about this. Raja puri. It gets about 8 feet tall perfect height you can easily reach bananas. Stocky. Beautiful plant. Small bananas with really good flavor. Cold hardy more Cold hardy than most bananas.

Second would be one of the red types though they are cold sensitive. Very beautiful plants and great bananas. The one I had doesn't get too tall either. They have red bananas.

Brebarian

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2023, 03:43:41 AM »
I'm no expert, but I love my FHIA-01 "Goldfinger". Resilient, solid producer of small bananas with that sweet-tart apple banana quality you describe. In my experience it is compact, wind-resistant, doesn't need propping, etc.

If you're looking for another dwarf apple-type banana, I'd probably try the Dwarf Brazilian. I haven't tried it, but it apparently grows really well in Southern California. The downside here would be the fact that it's a parent of the FHIA-01 Goldfinger, so the fruit are probably on the similar side. If you're looking for a lot of variety, I might go with one or the other.

Tangent: If you're looking for variety, because you're in SD, I think you might be able to get away with growing the dwarf Gros Michel variety, "Highgate". I don't think it's a true dwarf and it's definitely closer to a traditional banana, but it would be a cool one if you're able to grow it.   

I'd personally grow Goldfinger and Dwarf Brazilian if I was looking for two bulletproof apple-type bananas.

 

FMfruitforest

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2023, 04:07:10 AM »
I enjoy bananas stir fry in oil, butter n cinnamon, to me Orinoco and Blue java have the best texture for cooking. Out of hand raja puri, pisang ceylan and lakatan very sweet.

Epicatt2

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2023, 05:06:57 AM »
I'll again second 'Raja Puri' since it is, as William Lessard observes in his banana book, that 'Raja Puri' is bulletproof, suffering chilly temps and windy weather quite well.

But my favorite banana is 'Hua Moa' if I don't ever have to try growing it anymore since it's so cold sensitive, and can instead find fruit offered in one of the local Latino markets here in Tampa.  'Hua Moa' makes great, tasty platanos fritos!

I have also planted two fast season banana cultivars, 'Veinte Cohol' and 'Kokopo' but they are small seedlings and have not fruited so far, so cannot rate the taste of the fruit.

Cheers!

Paul M.
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Julie

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2023, 09:54:43 AM »
Dwarf Namwah is very vigorous and productive.  I also have planted dwarf cavendish, dwarf red, pisang raja, mysore, hua moa, & raja puri.  They have not fruited yet though.

johnb51

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2023, 11:10:54 AM »
Yes, I've heard good things about Goldfinger, Rajapuri, Dwarf Brazilian, and Mysore.  Dwarf Red is also pretty good and a beautiful plant.
John

CenCalArt

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2023, 04:38:55 PM »
I have truly tiny just waking up from the harsh and wet winter. No fruit yet
I would like to try misi luki or pineapple banana

Jeramyl

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2023, 08:30:39 PM »
I think there was already a thread about this. Raja puri. It gets about 8 feet tall perfect height you can easily reach bananas. Stocky. Beautiful plant. Small bananas with really good flavor. Cold hardy more Cold hardy than most bananas.

Second would be one of the red types though they are cold sensitive. Very beautiful plants and great bananas. The one I had doesn't get too tall either. They have red bananas.

Sorry if repeat thread rainman.  I did search for the topic. Thank you for the quick reply though. Raja Puri sounds great for sure! I’ll look that one up.

Jeramyl

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2023, 08:33:03 PM »
I'm no expert, but I love my FHIA-01 "Goldfinger". Resilient, solid producer of small bananas with that sweet-tart apple banana quality you describe. In my experience it is compact, wind-resistant, doesn't need propping, etc.
.

That Goldfinger sounds great too.  The smallish banana with the hint if Apple flavor were fantastic.

Jeramyl

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2023, 08:40:26 PM »
I'm no expert, but I love my FHIA-01 "Goldfinger". Resilient, solid producer of small bananas with that sweet-tart apple banana quality you describe. In my experience it is compact, wind-resistant, doesn't need propping, etc.

Thanks B!  I think it’s going to be the Goldfinger and Raja to start! Looking forward to this.  The last were really doing well until the gopher!  Little rascal

Rispa

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2023, 09:00:13 PM »
Since there are so many banana lovers here, have any of you tried one with a pumpkin is flavor? I had one once and loved it and have been trying to track down what it was since. It was grown in Florida.

kapps

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2023, 09:40:44 PM »
Dwarf Namwa is a winner for me. I prefer the thick heavy texture compared to blue java. As a plus, it fruits heavily with a goos layer of mulch and minimal fertilizer.

Epicatt2

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2023, 10:01:49 PM »
Since there are so many banana lovers here, have any of you tried one with a pumpkin is flavor? I had one once and loved it and have been trying to track down what it was since. It was grown in Florida.

Hey Rispa, there's 'Hua Moa' which is a plantain/banana that has pale orange flesh when ripe.

It maybe could be perceived as pumpkiny (is that a word?) in taste but the Cubans in south Florida like to use 'Hua Moa' to make fried plantains which are delish! 

But if you go looking for 'Hua Moa' in any of the latino community's grocery stores or markets in Miami or here in Tampa be aware that the spanish name here for 'Hua Moa' fruit is 'Hawaiana'.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
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Julie

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2023, 10:33:15 PM »
Dwarf Namwa is a winner for me. I prefer the thick heavy texture compared to blue java. As a plus, it fruits heavily with a goos layer of mulch and minimal fertilizer.

I agree - My group of them have 3 perfect bunches maturing on different plants right now. 

Rispa

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #15 on: March 18, 2023, 05:42:23 AM »
Since there are so many banana lovers here, have any of you tried one with a pumpkin is flavor? I had one once and loved it and have been trying to track down what it was since. It was grown in Florida.

Hey Rispa, there's 'Hua Moa' which is a plantain/banana that has pale orange flesh when ripe.

It maybe could be perceived as pumpkiny (is that a word?) in taste but the Cubans in south Florida like to use 'Hua Moa' to make fried plantains which are delish! 

But if you go looking for 'Hua Moa' in any of the latino community's grocery stores or markets in Miami or here in Tampa be aware that the spanish name here for 'Hua Moa' fruit is 'Hawaiana'.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
==

Sweet! Thank you! I'll try to track it down in Houston 😁

Tropicaltoba

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #16 on: March 18, 2023, 10:29:12 AM »
When people say 8 feet tall they don’t include the leaves do they?

drymifolia

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #17 on: March 18, 2023, 11:41:11 AM »
When people say 8 feet tall they don’t include the leaves do they?

When I asked about this before putting a banana in my greenhouse, the answer was no, it didn't count the height needed for new leaves to emerge before they flop over, so add a few feet if you're trying to figure out where it can fit indoors. The height usually refers to the height of the top of the banana bunch itself, i.e the fruiting stem as it curves back down.

johnb51

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #18 on: March 19, 2023, 09:29:11 AM »
Homegrown vs. supermarket Cavendish bananas.  My neighbor grew them.

Needless to say homegrown have more flavor and are sweeter.  Some forum members say they're not going to bother to grow bananas because they can buy them in the supermarket, but it's the same as with any other fruit.  There's no comparison in flavor and quality.  They're not my favorite banana, but damn, they're good!
« Last Edit: March 19, 2023, 11:53:54 AM by johnb51 »
John

Jeramyl

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #19 on: March 19, 2023, 08:16:48 PM »
Homegrown is almost always better!  I think this is the case with many fruits.  Nothing like walking out and picking right off the tree or plant.

Pan Dulce

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #20 on: March 19, 2023, 11:10:13 PM »
Dwarf Orinoco, Dwarf Red, Dwarf Namwa, FHIA 1, 2, 3, and 18, 1780, Mysore, Blue Java, Dwarf Iholene, Dwarf Brazilian, Apple, Pear, and Patupi/Kokopo are all good banana cultivars

There's some others, just can't remember right now

BestDay

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #21 on: March 21, 2023, 01:58:26 PM »
There are a lot of good recommendations in this topic.  But I'll throw in my 2 cents.  I grow about 12 different varieties of bananas here in Long Beach.  To start off with I would recommend Dwarf Brazilian and Dwarf Namwa.  They both stay shortish, don't fall over, are not cold sensitive and productive.   The fruits are very different from each other.  Dwarf Brazilian has that subacid tang to it.  That is why it is called the apple banana in Hawaii.  The Dwarf Namwa is very sweet and dense.  You might love both or you might decide you like one style of banana taste over the other.  After those two varieties I would recommend California Gold if you like plantains.  It is good eaten fresh out of hand but amazing cooked as a plantain.  It also stays short and is cold hardy.  After that I would recommend Mysore if you don't mind a very tall plant that needs propping when it fruits.  It is fast growing and produces tons of bananas with a slight berry taste to them.  They are great.  And don't forget about Gros Michel "Highgate", the dwarf form of Gros Michel.  It is stoute rarely falls over and produces bananas with the Gros Michel type taste to them.  But they are cold sensitive.  Goldfinger, Dwarf Brazilian and Raja Puri all taste very similar.  So I would only recommend one of those three.  The taste so similar that if you have one you don't need the others unless you want to grow many different variities. 

That my 2 cents.  I sell most of these varieties.  You can check my listing here in the sell forum.  But I don't ship so if you wanted some plants you would need to drive up to Long Beach.  Good luck!

Thanks,
Bill

Jeramyl

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #22 on: March 22, 2023, 01:39:29 AM »
Thanks Bill! I may take you up on this. I’m up that way all the time for kids sports.  It would be great to see the trees. My climate is very similar to yours

johnb51

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #23 on: March 22, 2023, 10:07:38 AM »
And don't forget about Gros Michel "Highgate", the dwarf form of Gros Michel.  It is stoute rarely falls over and produces bananas with the Gros Michel type taste to them.  But they are cold sensitive.
Does Gros Michel taste different than Cavendish?  What's it like?
John

Rispa

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Re: Favorite banana?
« Reply #24 on: March 22, 2023, 01:07:33 PM »
And don't forget about Gros Michel "Highgate", the dwarf form of Gros Michel.  It is stoute rarely falls over and produces bananas with the Gros Michel type taste to them.  But they are cold sensitive.
Does Gros Michel taste different than Cavendish?  What's it like?
I've never tried it, but I hear it tastes like artificial banana flavor