The Strange History of Bananas

In this video, we look at the surprising and mysterious history behind what may very well be the world's favorite fruit.
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The following music performed by Kevin Macleod Available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
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Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 [orig. by JS Bach]
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Heavy Heart
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[@Fireoflearning]

Just to clarify: Banana fruit are not herbs, but banana plants are. Bananas are (botanically) berries, but berries are fruit, so they're botanically fruit and berries.

[@Diglidogg]

Is it bad that I already new this

[@madambrianne]

Please do more holiday history documentary videos please.

[@BruceVial]

Aye there’s is alot of animals or vegetation that full into different groups. Just example is: Is a polar bear the largest land carnivore or just an average marine animal.

[@zarkobojanic2141]

Fruit is parental plant and banana isn't.it' s vegetables just like watermelon

[@pjbth]

I admire your restraint in not calling this like The Apeeling Tale of Bananas

[@rush1er]

LOG OFF FREAK! Yer not clever OR funny! (appealing... that was pretty clever. Why didn't I think of that?!)

[@snapdragon6601]

Nice. 😄

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

Stupid comment

[@Diglidogg]

Bro your driving me bananas 🍌 ( that wasn’t as clever though nor appealing)

[@throbalot]

I like how you slipped that one in

[@BananaBrainsZEF]

As a banana-person, I approve of the direction this channel is headed.

[@martinhodan3271]

Bananas must flow

[@We-Wuz-Great-201]

You should run for government. You have the right credentials.

[@WillWilsonII]

You're a banana person? You mean like "peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat"?

[@jooobjoob]

Banana moment

[@BananaBrainsZEF]

@@WillWilsonII Man, that unlocked a memory.

[@venabre]

Glad to hear you're considering a video on the banana industry in central america. It is a story not many people know about and it is both tragic from a humanitarian point of view and fascinating from a historic point of view.

[@crescentwuju496]

hey kids kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5jclYeaic2im6M&ab_channel=SamO%27NellaAcademy

[@colindeer9657]

I found this video very interesting. Thank you for presenting it. I live in tropical North Queensland, Australia and grow Cavendish Bananas in my garden. I think myself as being very fortunate to be able to do this. Cheers Colin.

[@s._3560]

Cavendish are very plain and rather tasteless. If you get to eat some other varieties in South East Asia like Pisang Raja you will understand what I mean.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

​@@s._3560I buy Ladyfinger bananas. Modern shop bananas are even more tasteless than the Cavendish.

[@kobblestonemc]

Please do pears next. This series is amazing!

[@proprietarycurez8463]

perry

[@ollifrank6255]

In Brazil you have banana prata, banana nanica, banana maçã, banana ouro and others, as well as banana da terra (plantain). They are not sold on the fruit stand but on the banana stand specialized in bananas.

[@DeadPig325]

that's cool

[@frederickherring2284]

I attended Cavendish Road State High school. Near the headmasters office There was various paintings of this man and his efforts to grow Bananas.

[@ijj2286]

Bananas randomly grow here in the rural areas of the Philippines.

[@juliomandiaga9612]

My mom cooked the blossoms with bangus fish. The bananas I grew up with are called Lakatan and Latundan, I haven't seen them here in the U.S. For a while I thought plantain and saging na saba are the same, but I was wrong.

[@tebec3624]

Very interesting. I always thought they originated in the Caribbean. Down there, a "bunch" of bananas is called a "hand". Now I see that is derived from the Arabic "banan" meaning finger. 🍌

[@benjamintillema3572]

"Ever hear a word so many times over that it no longer sounds like a word?" Fire of Learning: *Bananas*

[@kalvaxus]

"Bananas are giant babies".. ok, this caught me off guard!

[@SolidGeddoe]

Lol

[@Numba003]

I'm continuing to love the food series! Thank you for these! By the by, I love the dry humor here too lol. This is one of my favorite channels. God be with you out there everybody. ✝️ :)

[@joeshmoe8345]

Excellent as always Big Dog, thanks for sharing with us!

[@sunshine8915]

My good friend in college was from a tropical island. She would get so upset when people would eat a banana that was bright yellow. Yellow bananas weren't ripe! Bananas were to be eaten when they were brown. No one listened but we got the lecture every morning 😅

[@redtobertshateshandles]

A banana is ripe when it tastes great, but I understand.

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

I love food history!

[@JoseDaPrimo]

I remember the day I found out little bananas exist it's so unique 😂

[@ichoppabroccoli3670]

Perfect timing putting this vid up. I was about to hit the sack but now I'm off to make a banana split to enjoy while watching 😁👍🍌🍨 I haven't watched it yet but I'm sure it will be awesome like the rest of your videos. Thank you!

[@jaynorris3722]

Thank you for new information. Bananas are wonderful.

[@cee8mee]

You earned my subscription today. Nice video, engaging narration.

[@morenauer]

This whole video was BANANAS!!!!!

[@AdmiralBonetoPick]

I want to hear more about this "Alexander the Grape" you mention.

[@veleouria]

i find this quite appealing

[@BIG-DIPPER-56]

Very Nice - Thanks ! 😎👍

[@kaiser1one]

I swear i've been hearing about Cavendish bananas and the fungus issue for a good 20 years. Surprised they haven't made a new banana yet to replace it.

[@Calc_Ulator]

Fear mongering has no time limit.

[@kennyhagan5781]

My grandfather was a soldier during the rise of the Banana Republics. I never met the man, but I do know about what he did in Central America. It was a bad scene.

[@alexcoulter9260]

I was not expecting to enjoy that so much

[@iangomez7190]

Favorite series

[@AlteraLin]

Another great Fruit video!

[@BruceVial]

This was mind blowing like pure bananas

[@piousl]

A quick note: Siddartha Gautama (aka The Buddha) wasn't born until 580 BCE, so the Pali Canon cannot be from 600 BCE. The earliest fragments are from about 100 BCE. It's possible another textual source was meant? Or a date of 600 CE?

[@Yo-Uncle]

Ooh I’m just in time for a new Fire of Learning 😮😁

[@robertpearson8798]

Thanks a bunch for that.

[@imaniwork6439]

Please do the history of Tobacco and Ganja

[@ybloc1428]

Bananas are definitely one of the most abused fruits... lol

[@planescaped]

Giant babies. inbred sterile abused sickly that's bananas!

[@myassizitchy]

Would u agree that the cucumber is the most abused..... vegetable ?

[@mrpillows]

@@myassizitchycucumbers are fruit

[@Grim2]

2:50 - That's one way of saying they had a dirty mind. :v

[@Cjnw]

Ѷ

[@s._3560]

Pisang Raja is the best and sweetest variety!

[@blumobean]

Years ago, I said to my father "bananas are not as good as when I was young". He said, " same bananas, same place, same boats". Later, on a documentary on TV, we learned about the change.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Try a Ladyfinger. Still great.

[@blumobean]

@@redtobertshateshandles the best banana I ever had was a tiny banana in Vietnam. It had a hint of taste like a winesap apple. Of course, they went bad very quickly. This banana is a cultivar of what is called a ladyfinger.

[@wtfRyantater]

I watch all these and the Halloween one annually. Cant wait for the history of vanilla

[@sverrearnes7769]

From the middle of the fifties I remember the first bananas appearing. They came with the annually "Banana boat", branded Fyffes. It was one banana a year for us kids. Or an orange. Wow, memories!

[@simonbastrup486]

I've been waitinggggg

[@-Thauma-]

Ray Comfort is not impressed 😂

[@ROBARVS]

The Amazing Atheist certainly is though.

[@vikingfromthefuture1129]

I love this video🎉

[@janerkenbrack3373]

That's bananas! I read an article many years ago that said over in India, they refer to the Cavendish as "hotel bananas," since this is where they normally see them. Having so many other varieties in their local market, the Cavendish isn't that popular. (Again, this is from more than a few years ago). It is said that Baby Bananas are the most likely replacement for the Cavendish when that fungus finally destroys the plants. You can find them in many grocery stores. They are sweeter and firmer. Red bananas are the other ones you many find in your local market, and are some places called baking bananas. They are quite good too, but must reach full ripeness for flavorful raw eating. And if you want a chuckle, you can find on KZbin an old video of Miss Chiquita Banana singing the Chiquita song, which tells us how care for bananas and how to tell when ripe. "I'm Chiquita Banana and I'm - here to say, Bananas have to ripen in a - certain way."

[@joshuamidgette4846]

That is commercially extinct. Several cultivars of Banana grow in my yard. Only one is cavendish.

[@melissawiekharvey5037]

Is that a Fire of Learning video in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

[@parkieshark]

This video is bananas

[@mathieuleader8601]

Mr. Remora would love this video

[@SithLordDarthMurray]

"The big mike banana"... I won't say more than that haha

[@rhatid]

🍌🍌🍌👍👍👍👌👌👌👏👏👏👏 Nice one! I mean the video. Good video! Gros Michel ... I remember hearing my grandfather talking about this 🇯🇲

[@frederickherring2284]

Queenslanders are known as as banana benders

[@utkangezer]

What the LOL was that ending ahahahah. This s*** is BANANAS, B, A-N-A-N-A-S!

[@zintosion]

This shit is bananas.

[@NomadicBrian]

Yes! We have no bananas. We have no bananas today.

[@alhollywood6486]

It's up!

[@flameguy3416]

YES

[@Faustobellissimo]

Does anybody know the origin of the name "Gros Michel"?

[@TaLeng2023]

Some Michael probably had 🍌 that big.

[@frederickherring2284]

I'm sure they called this disease Bunchy top in Australia

[@kippywylie]

He left out the skiing chair lift connection. The very first chair lift in Sun Valley Idaho was a modification of the cable transport systems used in the hilly terrains on Central American banana plantations

[@silverjade10]

Could you do a video specifically about the non-Cavendish cultivars? Cavendish bananas aren't as delicious as red bananas or finger bananas. I'm dying to try the blue java bananas, which are cold tolerant and supposedly taste like vanilla ice cream.

[@s._3560]

Cavendish are grown for exporting to the European/Western market. Pisang Raja is one of the best.

[@foodhistory1387]

Cool.

[@Fmajor7]

I LOVE bananas… Sadly because of my unsolved heart condition, I can’t have them 😢

[@michaelhurley3171]

World's largest banana 🍌? In my pants! Couldn't resist 😂

[@1LivelyRogue]

Came here to see if you mentioned Sam Zemurray. Enjoyed the video anyway. The Big Mike was the slippery peeled banana, right?

[@averageskyfatherworshipper9342]

10:53 did he just...

[@diebesgrab]

You started with the word “bananas,” abd my mind leapt to “banana who?” before you finished the second syllable. KNOCK KNOCK.

[@blownupfishnchips9071]

Slice them, dry them, salt them and you get banana chips. At least that's how I think of it.

[@davidb2206]

Try it. Not easy to get real chips.

[@ooo000oo0o_]

pomegranates next!

[@cam2351]

My favorite thing about bananas is the word peduncle.

[@frederickherring2284]

I grew up in Brisbane, the sunny suburb of Greenslopes. We had a small banana grove in the backyard. ladyfingers to be sure

[@redtobertshateshandles]

My dad lives in Austinmer just south of Sydney. On his north sloping block, sheltered from cold southerly and westerly winds, he's grown some Queensland variety for decades.

[@zachwear3217]

I know this will probably get lost in the comments but sometimes when I’m home alone I like to go out in my garden and cover myself with dirt and pretend I’m a carrot.

[@werren894]

south african, dutch, Malaysia, and Indonesia called it Pisang, have you ever visited West Papua or PNG? they have some weird banana trees that are as tall as palm trees and the fruit is so big

[@meredithgreenslade1965]

I have at my right 2 bananas, ripe, and ready to be consumed. So lucky we are able to have them. Sad the day they fall prey to a dreadful blight. I will enjoy them while i can

[@charlynegezze8536]

I grew up in the U.S.A. in the 50s and have a vague recollection of little circles of tiny black dots in the center of the banana that I was told were seeds. Could that be true or did I dream it? Hold the jokes, please. 😏

[@jasminecarriker7047]

In the 1990's I lived in Puerto Rico and usually grabbed a "wild" banana before going to the park and they had little black seeds in them. They were about half the size of store bought bananas.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

They did. I think it's been bred out.

[@flowerchild89]

Bananas are delicious! 😋 🍌

[@sufianahmat5334]

Is this the same narattor from the old videos ?

[@Connor_6]

Awesome video !! Please do a video on Onions, garlic and Ginger

[@kenneybis1097]

They won't be growing bananas any longer, it was decided they're long enough already.

[@ShayTheValiant]

During World War 2 in Britain, many food items had to be rationed. Bananas were one of them. They were so rare that many kids grew up not knowing they existed. And even if you could find some, you were only allowed to have 1 banana per child in the household because it was encouraged to give it to kids who, again, didn't know they were real. Since they had never seen them before, kids didn't know how to eat them, and would bite down on the peel instead of peeling the banana first. Of course, bananas became available again after the war ended, but it's fascinating to know that a fruit that is so common today was so incredibly rare for a period of time.

[@dermeistefan]

There used to be quite a lot of banana jokes in Germany because they were rationed in the old GDR. You got one per person if you were lucky and fast on your feet.

[@CaseNumber00]

I feel the same way about Avacados, were common in S. California growing up but no one was really familiar with them in the US. In the early 2000s it really started picking up.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

I buy Ladyfinger bananas. They have a great banana flavour. Unlike some modern big bananas.

[@chinaski6593]

Great and very informative video! I was actually eating a banana (plátano a we call it here in Chile) for breakfast when KZbin recommended me your channel. Subscribing now!

[@Ramon51650]

The Smithsonian dig in the Cerrejón coal mine (strip mining) of Colombia at the beginning of this century; paleobotanists found fossilized banana leaves in a 60 million year old layer. The plant may have experienced an extinction after continental drift, but their evidence confirms that it had once existed in the Western Hemisphere.

[@TaLeng2023]

Do cassava (South American native that became staple in Africa) and taro (insurance food in Asia that became a staple in Polynesia).

[@TheOneWhoKnocks969]

Yeah in India we give Bananas after the rituals performed or in temple.

[@femboy__bunny]

HIIIIIIIIII I LOVE YOU AND BANANAS ❤

[@thereelphil]

This day is bananas

[@azizaziz5621]

Cool bananas 🍌

[@myassizitchy]

Oh holy s hit. Ive been lookin for this video for years. Thanks ma-dude. Always wondered who spread these damn bananas

[@danielgardner394]

Earliest bananas had no sweet flavor.

[@aronjanssonnordberg307]

A video about the "banana republics" in South America would be interesting.

[@danidejaneiro8378]

*Central America

[@ggpt9641]

Video was ripe for the watching. And may a cure be found for bananas.

[@cindyhauert2339]

I wonder what Ken Ham would make of this lol

[@JohnSmithEx]

0:00 "Worldwide over 100 billion individual bananas are produced each year" I did a small research, and according to Google the worldwide production for 2021 was 125 million tons. I also read that 1 kg is approximately 7 bananas. Which means that, if my math is correct, 875,000,000,000 individual bananas were produced in 2021.

[@normlor]

ALL THE WORLD LOVES THESE BUT ONE ISSUE BOTHERS ME AND I CAN'T GET OVER IT. AS FOOD PRICES RISE ALL OVER THE GLOBE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN PRICES LOWER FOR THIS ONE FRUIT. EVEN HERE IN CANADA, OUR PRICES ARE ALMOST DOUBLE OF OUR NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR. I CAN SEE BANANAS ON SALE FOR AS LITTLE AS 49 CENTS/LB. THOSE ACTUALLY PICKING THIS MASSIVE HEAVY FRUID MUST BE GETTING PENNIES ON THE POUND!!!

[@alison155]

Had this on only for background noise, but actually stopped and listened, found it very interesting... am i becoming a sad git 😊

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Old age sneaks up on you. Resist. 😂

[@bruceswinford4901]

The genetic weakness of domesticated organisms, both plants and animals are one of the strongest motivators for greater genetic modification.

[@johnberry1107]

More recent aggression over nanas is same as earlier but we like the juicy details of human behavior. Is it farmers or eaters that determine food production?

[@lisamoore6804]

DAY-O! I love bananas and bananas with chocolate.

[@mutsakabaliling4005]

I love banana it is the only plant with a heart.

[@AquaStockYT]

How did you not even mention the tally man?