Apple Bananas
Estimated Inventory, lb : 6.60
This item was last sold on : 05/12/25
Description/Taste
Apple bananas are small fruits, averaging 10 to 14 centimeters in length, and have a short, thick appearance with a straight to slightly curved, cylindrical shape. The bananas bear a distinct protruding, rounded tip on the non-stem end, sometimes labeled as the nose, and the peel is smooth, taut, and semi-thin. Apple bananas mature from pale yellow, golden yellow, to almost black when ripe and develop dark markings. The black-brown markings are a sign of the flesh sweetening and are not a sign of spoiling. Underneath the peel, the cream-colored flesh is astringent, acidic, and firm when unripe, softening and developing a dense and creamy consistency with maturity. Apple bananas have a perfume-like aroma with tropical, flowery, and fruity notes. When ripe, the bananas contain a subtly sweet, tangy flavor with faint pineapple, strawberry, and apple nuances.
Seasons/Availability
Apple bananas are available year-round.
Current Facts
Apple bananas, botanically a triploid AAB hybrid of Musa balbisiana x acuminata, are small, tropical fruits belonging to the Musaceae family. The fragrant, short, and thick bananas grow in bunches on plants that can reach up to 4 meters in height and are a popular cultivar commonly grown in Southeast Asia, South America, and Hawaii. The name Apple banana is a general descriptor used to encompass many different varieties of small bananas cultivated worldwide, earning the fruits other common names including Manzano, Silk, Latundan, and Tundan bananas. The fruits are not produced commercially on a large scale, paling in comparison to cavendish production, but Apple bananas are increasing in popularity worldwide as a snack banana. Apple bananas are rumored to have earned their name from their faint, sweet and tangy, fruity flavor and are primarily grown in home gardens or through small farms for fresh use, consumed as a dessert cultivar. The plants are also grown as an attractive ornamental in home gardens.
Nutritional Value
Apple bananas are an excellent source of fiber to stimulate the digestive tract and potassium to balance fluid levels within the body. The fruits are also a good source of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, amino acids to help carry nutrients and build muscles, vitamins B12, D, and A, and provides lower amounts of calcium, manganese, and copper.
Applications
Apple bananas are favored for their creamy, dense flesh and are well-suited as a dessert banana. The fruits can be consumed fresh, out-of-hand, or they can be sliced lengthwise and coated in nut butter as a snack, sliced into yogurt or breakfast bowls, or cut and layered on top of toast. Apple bananas are slow to brown when exposed to air, allowing the fruits to shine in fruit bowls and other raw applications. In addition to slicing the fruits, Apple bananas can be dipped whole in chocolate and frozen, blended into smoothies as a natural thickener, or sliced or mashed and fried as an appetizer. They can also be incorporated into bread, muffins, pies, and puddings, simmered into jams or sauces, or used as a flavoring for ice cream. Beyond fresh preparations, Apple bananas can be dried for extended use. Apple bananas have a tropical, semi-sweet, and tart flavor that complements both sweet and savory ingredients, pairing well with vanilla, chocolate, maple syrup, fruits such as citrus, coconut, stone fruit, and berries, nuts such as macadamia, peanuts, and cashews, and meats including pork, beef, poultry, and fish. Whole Apple bananas should be stored at room temperature in a cool and dark place away from direct sunlight. Once ripe, the fruits will keep for a couple of days fresh. Apple bananas can also be frozen or dried for extended use.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Apple bananas are one of the most common banana varieties sold in local markets throughout the Philippines. The small, squat bananas are favored for fresh eating, but they are also frequently used in the street foods turon and banana cue. Turon, also known as lumpiang saging or banana lumpia, is a crispy snack comprised of banana slices coated in brown sugar, rolled into a wrapper, and fried. The lumpia variation was created from Chinese spring rolls introduced to the Philippines by Fujian traders sometime after the 7th century. Turon is traditionally made with saba bananas, but Apple bananas have become a popular alternative for their semi-sweet, firm flesh. Unlike saba bananas, Apple bananas are also available worldwide, allowing Filipino communities outside of the Philippines to recreate their favored banana rolls. In addition to turon, Apple bananas are sometimes fried with a coating of caramelized brown sugar to create banana cue. The crunchy, deep-fried bananas are a sweet snack served on a bamboo stick for on-the-go consumption in Filipino markets.
Geography/History
Bananas are native to a large region extending from India to Southern China and south through Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and Queensland, Australia. Many different cultivars of bananas have been created and selected over time for cultivation throughout subtropical and tropical areas. Bananas were later carried to Europe over trade routes in the 10th century CE, and Portuguese explorers introduced the fruits to Central and South America in the 16th century. Apple bananas are a hybrid cultivar developed from two wild species, Musa Balbisiana and Musa acuminata, and are a triploid AAB belonging to the silk subgroup. There are many different varieties of small bananas generally classified under Apple bananas, making it somewhat difficult to trace exact origins. Today Apple bananas can be found growing in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, especially in Southeast Asia in Malaysia and the Philippines, Hawaii, Mexico, Honduras, the Caribbean, and areas of South America, sold fresh at local markets. When exported into other countries, the fruits are primarily found fresh through Asian and Latin American stores and specialty grocers.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Apple Bananas. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Whole and Heavenly Oven |
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No Churn Black Cherry Banana Ice Cream |
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Bacon Wrapped Manzano (Apple) Bananas |
Podcast
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