Bananas in Ukraine – have long been not exotic, but a daily fruit: affordable, tasty and nutritious. Despite this, there is a persistent myth among the people: it seems that Ukrainians are not imported real dessert bananas, but some "feed" ones, worse in taste, are not intended for people. Let's figure out if there is truth to this — and what we actually eat.
Where bananas grow and who grows them
Banana — is one of the most common fruits on the planet. It is grown in over 130 countries, mostly in the tropical belt. The largest manufacturers are:
India (~34 million tonnes each year),
China (~12 million),
Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, Ecuador.
Although these countries provide the world with huge amounts of fruit, not all bananas are the same in taste, purpose and method of consumption.
What are bananas: dessert and culinary
1. Dessert (sweet) varieties They are eaten raw. The most famous — Cavendish. He is the — hero of supermarkets and the leader of international trade. In this group, the most common subvarietal types are:
Grand Nain <TAG1> "big hearted shorty", transport resistant.
Dwarf Cavendish <TAG1> is more compact, also popular.
Lady Finger <TAG1> are small, fragrant, sweeter than Cavendish.
2. Culinary (plantains, pseudo-feed) These bananas are not eaten raw — they are hard, low in sugar. They are fried, boiled or baked like vegetables. Most common:
Plantain (Platano) <TAG1> giants of the banana world.
Saba <TAG1> is popular in the Philippines, the basis of many dishes.
Bluggoe, Pisang Awak <TAG1> other regional varieties.
Where do they eat fried bananas?
In countries where bananas grow, the culinary diversity is simply amazing. For example:
Philippines: Saba banana is stewed with meat or in caramel.
Colombia, Venezuela: plantain is fried, made into chips — tostones.
Africa: green banana — like potatoes, added to soups.
South india: salty fried chips — popular snack.
But such varieties hardly go beyond their regions — they are poorly transported and are not in demand in countries where banana — dessert.
What do they eat in Ukraine?
In Ukraine, the vast majority of imported bananas — it's Cavendish. The probability of buying a culinary variety is extremely small —, it is simply not imported on a mass scale. Reasons:
Demand – for sweet, ready-to-eat fruit.
Logistics – dessert varieties are better transported.
Culinary culture — bananas are not fried in Ukrainian cuisine.
The main supplier to Ukraine is — Ecuador (over 50% of imports). Also import from:
Costa Rica,
Colombia,
Guatemala.
In general, Ukraine imports about every year 250–300 thousand tons bananas. Even with war and logistics disruptions, this volume remains relatively stable.
What about "feed" bananas?
This is a myth. Bananas that end up on the shelves of Ukrainian stores — are Cavendish. It is not a culinary variety, not technical, not for livestock.
Sometimes confusion arises because withhelenate appearance, hardness or lack of taste. But this is not a sign of "feediness" —, it's just that bananas were torn off unripe so that they could withstand transportation. They ripen already in warehouses or at home. By the way, bananas are ripened with the help of natural ethylene gas —, just like avocados or kiwis.
Are there really «feed» bananas?
Yes, but not in the sense that they are "worse bananas" or "for animals".
In countries where bananas are an important part of agriculture, part of the crop is actually used for feed: mostly overripe, defective or unsaleable fruits. These are not separate varieties — is a side use.
Some culinary varieties (such as plantain, Saba) can be used for feed due to their high starchyness, but their main purpose is food, cooking (they are fried, boiled, baked).
«Feed bananas» is not a separate biological group. These are either culinary varieties that are not consumed raw, or low-quality fruits that have not entered the market. In countries where there are too many bananas — yes, some go for feed. But bananas are grown primarily for people, not for livestock.
In Uganda or Burundi, varieties like East African Highland bananas (AAA-EAHB group), which are used in fermentation, prepare beer, and indirectly go to feed livestock.
In Indonesia or the Philippines, with an excess of crops, low-grade plantains are sometimes fed to pigs or used in silos.
What are truly technical or inedible varieties?
E inedible wild bananas, with seeds, hard, fibrous — they are not eaten and people do not cultivate them for consumption. But in the agrarian context, the "feed" banana — is, rather, secondary use, not a special group. Such varieties are not imported in Ukraine, and there are no real "feed" bananas on the shelves.
