[HN Gopher] At This Banana Farm, the Bunches Grow in 430 Shapes ...
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At This Banana Farm, the Bunches Grow in 430 Shapes and Sizes
Author : fortran77
Score : 112 points
Date : 2021-01-12 16:14 UTC (6 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.atlasobscura.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.atlasobscura.com)
| voidmain0001 wrote:
| Curious. The article states that Mr. Vinod Sahadevan Nair is 60
| YO, and graduated with a degree in physics, and then worked as a
| web designer. Mr. Lee released the web in 1989, and Mr. Nair was
| in his early 30s. The web wouldn't grab hold for designers for a
| few more years, so Mr. Nair would be close to 40 if not older. I
| guess that fits...
| WarOnPrivacy wrote:
| I'm secretly cheering on the demise of the oversold Cavendish
| spelunker wrote:
| Well if that one disease has anything to say about it you just
| might get your wish!
| rezmason wrote:
| > Vinod poses with a bunch of banana varieties.
|
| Just look at the pride in that man. Way to go, Mr. Nair! You
| brought your dream to life.
| programmertote wrote:
| I'm so glad to see this post and be reminded of the variety of
| banana kinds that are available in my home country. In the US, I
| think it's only the Cavendish and maybe Plantain that are
| commonly seen in the markets. When people say 'buy banana' in the
| states, we know it's to buy cavendish. But in my home country,
| when I asked my mother to buy banana when she goes shopping, I
| had to tell her what specific kind.
|
| I truly miss the variety of food and vegetables available in my
| home country. In the US, I will have to be rich to afford such
| variety of food and even then, I might not be able to access them
| immediately/fresh. I guess that's the price we pay for efficiency
| in the developed world (of food production which is more or less
| monoculture and corporatized).
| annoyingnoob wrote:
| Its funny how one person can make a difference. I used to visit
| a small banana farm in La Conchita before a mud slide destroyed
| it. I had never seen such a variety of bananas.
|
| https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-aug-28-fo-banan...
| skynetv2 wrote:
| Exactly my feelings. I miss this
| (http://organicbasket.in/product/chakkarakeli/) variety the
| most.
| ArtWomb wrote:
| Not sure the official varietal designation, but many latino-
| operated grocers in Metro NY area carry the "little banana"
| bunches common to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. They are
| memorably terrific when ripe. Tarter than the Cavendish. With a
| softer fruit inside.
|
| I feel we could grow more varietals of everything as American
| palettes expand. I've seen many types of chili peppers in
| farmer's markets. And I'd put the taste test to Haitian mangos
| arriving here in early May with the best Alphonses the Indian
| Subcontinent has to offer ;)
| programmertote wrote:
| Yes! I noticed that latino grocery stores have some common
| varieties that are available in my home country, which is in
| south asia. Those 'little banana' that you are referring to
| is one of them, but they taste slightly different from what's
| available in my country (close, but not exactly the same). :)
|
| Also, for those who have never tried this before: try to make
| refreshing juice out of Tamarind (available in latino grocery
| shops) and maybe a spoon of sugar. Super delicious in the
| summer.
| alistairSH wrote:
| Also check any local Asian markets. Here in DC, we have a
| mix of latino, asian, and mid-eastern markets. The variety
| of fruits, vegetables, and seafood is great. Usually far
| less expensive than chain grocers too, even for "normal"
| items.
| Shared404 wrote:
| There's a pretty good Asian market in Austin if anyone's
| looking for one in that area.
|
| Before Covid we'd drive up to Austin every few month's
| and resupply on curry paste and a couple other things.
| kingdomcome50 wrote:
| I wouldn't be so hasty to call a lack of variety a result of
| efficiency. Sure that may be one factor, but it isn't trivial
| to ship such perishables like fruits and vegetables half way
| around the globe in a way that consumers are willing to pay for
| quality that shows up. There are some products that just _can
| 't_ be transported in a way that maintains the level of quality
| a consumer would be willing to pay for.
| nmridul wrote:
| The bananas were one of the stuffs I always missed during
| overseas trips. The variety of bananas you get in Kerala is very
| rare in Europe, where in markets it's always the same type and
| mostly same brand.
| SamBam wrote:
| Yup, the Cavendish is what you find in non-banana-growing
| countries. Almost the only species of banana on the planet to
| get exported to other countries, as it is uniquely able to with
| stand the long journey. And, like most hardy, exportable fruit,
| it has one of the blandest flavors.
|
| It's also very susceptible to a fungal blight, the Panama
| disease, which may eventually end up wiping out the entire
| variety, and make exported bananas a rarity.
| dragonwriter wrote:
| > It's also very susceptible to a fungal blight, the Panama
| disease
|
| Cavendish having good resistance to Panama disease is why it
| replaced Gros Michel, which was devastated by Panama disease.
| I think the current threat to Cavendish is black sigatoka, a
| different fungal blight.
|
| EDIT: as pointed out down thread, there's a newer mutation of
| Panama disease threatening Cavendish. So the parallel to Gros
| Michel is closer than I remembered, and parent is correct.
| readams wrote:
| There's a new variant of panama disease that can infect
| cavendish called TR4. Likely that is only fixable by
| genetically engineering resistant cavendish.
| PeterisP wrote:
| If we can do that, genetically engineering resistant Gros
| Michel would probably be a better choice, since Cavendish
| became popular just because the (otherwise preferred)
| Gros Michel was not an option.
| barathr wrote:
| Bananas are relatively easy to grow in California, Florida,
| Louisiana, and Hawaii, and there are short-cycle varieties that
| are being tested in Georgia and elsewhere. I encourage everyone
| to grow them if your climate will allow for it -- they're one of
| the easiest, most-productive fruits you can grow. Here are a few
| resources.
|
| bananas.org is a great forum for learning about the world of
| backyard banana growing.
|
| Jon at Encanto Farms has a nice encyclopedia of banana varieties:
| http://webebananas.com/bvar-A-B.html
|
| He also has a good guide for beginners on how to grow them:
| http://webebananas.com/culture.html
| CameronNemo wrote:
| My mom used to have lots of banana trees, but she ripped them
| out because she did not like the way they looked. I would fry
| them with salt and pepper. Best tasting fruit I tasted in a
| while.
| loosetypes wrote:
| In Haiti there's over 150 varieties of mango.
|
| I've eaten maybe ten distinct kinds[0]. Not only are they
| visually distinct but, as you'd imagine, unique in taste as well.
|
| Made me feel like my sense of "mango" to that point in my life
| was nothing more than cherry flavored syrup.
|
| [0] Ti Kouzin might be my favorite!
| ocdtrekkie wrote:
| This is a radical departure from the bananas most of us eat,
| which are all clones of the exact same plant.
|
| https://www.newsweek.com/worlds-bananas-are-clones-and-they-...
| dukeofdoom wrote:
| Some varieties of bananas are quite hardy. The most hardy is the
| musa basjoo. That can overwinter in zone 6b (-5F). This guy has a
| banana jungle, in Ohio.
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9mIc3IymJ0
| Syzygies wrote:
| Long ago I mail-ordered a few boxes of exotic bananas from
| Seaside Banana Gardens. A mudslide took them out of business.
| Apparently, they're back on a smaller scale.
|
| https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-09-mn-199-st...
|
| https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Ventura-Banana-Plantatio...
|
| https://laist.com/2016/01/19/b_a_n_a_n_a_s.php
|
| I finally had the money to subscribe, and they were gone. They
| offered more varieties of bananas than a California dispensary
| offers of cannabis flowers. The ones we know in stores are
| absolutely the most boring choices.
| dimator wrote:
| I don't know if you've heard of these guys:
|
| https://miamifruit.org/collections/banana-pre-orders
|
| Depending on the import laws in your state, you can get some
| really rare tropical fruits.
| SoSoRoCoCo wrote:
| I ate a banana off a tree I happened upon while hiking in a small
| jungle in Tobago (north of Venezuela). It was awful, and a
| reminder how cultivation is such a fascinating science. (Yes, it
| definitely wasn't ripe, but I just wanted to try it because I'd
| never seen it before!)
| perfmode wrote:
| In Tobago, it could have also been a green fig. (Not saying
| you're wrong of course)
| MayeulC wrote:
| Bananas are awful when not ripe. In temperate climates, most
| bananas are harvested before they are ripe before they are
| imported, and they taste so bad it took me a few years to get
| used to them. They're just grainy, hard, and tasteless compared
| to a banana that matured on a bunch (even if that bunch was cut
| from the tree).
|
| It could also be the variety, I'm not sure.
| nsenifty wrote:
| Even the bananas that ripen on the plant (turned yellow and
| all) need some time after harvest to convert all the starch
| into sugar. They still taste a bit starchy right after the
| harvest.
| xtacy wrote:
| Although most US markets carry just one type, the Cavendish, you
| can easily get a few more varieties at various ethnic markets.
| Pay a quick visit to the Indian/South Asian stores for a delight!
|
| I have also heard about interesting varieties at Berkeley Bowl,
| but I haven't personally checked it out though.
| SeanFerree wrote:
| Very cool! Love bananas!
| gibolt wrote:
| The 12 foot tall, 1000-finger banana plant is quite amazing.
| Nature really outdoes itself sometimes.
|
| Standing next to that must be humbling, as it is more bananas
| (small, but still) on a single cluster than a single store would
| carry.
| throwarayes wrote:
| It's eye opening to eat a fresh banana. In Mexico I ate what I
| can describe only as a "juicy" banana. Much richer in flavor and
| pungent than what we buy in the states. I strongly recommend it
| if you're ever in an area that grows bananas.
| akiselev wrote:
| That's pretty much the case for all American food. Tomatoes,
| strawberries, cucumbers, and every single fruit and vegetable I
| buy here pales in comparison to what I ate as a child. Once in
| a while I'll get a blueberry that tastes close to the real
| thing and it just serves as a reminder.
| S_A_P wrote:
| My back yard has about 7-8 banana trees and I get fruit from 1 of
| them every year. I dont know enough about them to know what
| variety they are, but this year I got 20 6-8" long 3" diameter
| (yes, they are stubby and fat) bananas that once ripe were among
| the tastiest and sweetest Ive ever eaten. My goal now is to see
| if I can start encouraging the plants to make more next year...
|
| Edit: most likely they're Orinoco bananas
| hinkley wrote:
| One of the great advantages of growing your own fruits is that
| you have access to a wide variety that do not pack or ship
| well.
|
| Those of us in the PNW know of the Ranier Cherry, but they
| don't frequently appear outside the region. As a child I
| decided that Bing cherries were the best, and it took me a long
| while to accept that Raniers taste much better to me.
|
| Similarly with peaches. NPR had an interview almost 10 years
| ago now with someone who was interested in expanding the
| varieties of peaches from 'yellow' and 'white' the way we have
| apples, but many peaches are thin skinned, and bruise easily,
| so it's a challenge.
|
| Mulberries store so badly you practically have to go bush-to-
| table, which is a challenge because the birds love them so you
| can't just store them on the plant until you need them.
|
| And more than enough has been said about the virtues of vine
| ripe tomatoes that I don't need to add to it here.
| blakesterz wrote:
| I just love seeing Atlas Obscura here on HN. They're always a
| good read. This is no exception.
|
| That first photo collection made me laugh: "Clockwise from top-
| left: Rasakadali or ney poovan bananas; a plantation of Kerala's
| beloved nendran bananas; and ducks on the farm."
|
| Just a seemingly random picture of some ducks he's raising on a
| banana farm.
| wackro wrote:
| Every time an article from this site appears on here I'm
| reminded how beautifully designed their website is too.
| Typefaces, colours, no clutter. It's refreshing.
| kawfey wrote:
| Ducks eat bugs and poop fertilizer, it's a win-win.
| sidpatil wrote:
| https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/duck-pest-control
| oneplane wrote:
| Only downside is that they don't offer the choice of non-
| personalised ads and no-tracking/no-profiling. It's getting
| profiled or not getting on the site.
| fakedang wrote:
| I've grown bananas at our backyard and our family farm in Kerala,
| and my oh my do I hate them haha. Story time.
|
| Anyways, one thing really annoying about banana trees is how dry
| them get during the summers. It's literally just a husk of dried
| plant matter that's upright. So you can guess what happened when
| I had to burn some compost and organic waste, while not taking
| into account windspeeds. Nearly burned down our neighbor's
| clothes hanging on the side, and possibly his house too when the
| fire nearly went out of control.
|
| The trees are too hardy that even if you cut them by the stem,
| then burn the remainder, they'll still grow after a few months.
| If you really want to pull out a banana tree, you better get an
| excavator to grab them by the roots.
|
| Another thing, the sap from the Banana tree can really mess up
| any clothing you have, especially white ones.
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