Bananas are great super food which provides us with energy, make us feel full and provide our body with essential nutrients and high amount of fiber. The scientific name of banana is Masa acuminata and Masa balbisiana.
It is natural that we always mistake a banana for a plantain. Plantains are a member of the banana family. They are bigger in size and bright green. When compared to bananas plantains are thick skinned. While banana can be eaten raw plantains are not usually eaten raw because of its starch content. They serve an important role in many traditional diets. When used in cooking they are treated more like a vegetable than a fruit. Plantain contains less sugar and so they usually cooked or processed before being eaten. When it is little mature they can be fried, boiled, baked, micro-waved etc. The chips made out of green plantains are one of the favorite dishes in the Southwestern Indian state of Kerala.

Varieties: They come in colors say, green, yellow, purple and red. Most of the varieties are perennial (grown throughout the year). They are native to tropical southeast asis, but now are grown almost in all places. They are known as either "Dessert" bananas (when fully ripe) or cooking bananas

Banana plant can be found very easily in one's yard or gardens as they are very easy to cultivate and it is the largest herbaceous flowering plant. It can grow up to 6 to 6.7 meters (20 to 24.9 ft) tall and its leaves can grow up to 2.7 meters (8.9 ft) long and 60 cm (2.0 ft) wide.

Single Banana of average 125 grams has about 75% of water and 25% of waterless substance. It has protective external layer called peel or skin and many threads around between the peel and internal layer. Its seed is like tiny black specks present in the interior portion of the fruit.

While exporting banana, it is take into air-tight rooms filled with ethylene gas for ripening. While artificial ripening process the flavor and texture are affected.

Unripened Banana can be cook as potatoes. It Can be fried, boiled, chipped and has similar taste. The banana and potato has same calories.

There are different varieties of bananas like apple bananas, Cavendish bananas, lady finger bananas, pisang raja, Williams bananas and cooking bananas.

Cooking bananas are better thought of as potatoes than as bananas. They can be roasted, fried, steamed and otherwise used like any starchy vegetables. Yellow, red and green bananas are rich in nutrients and have the same amount of calories.

Upon purchasing, bananas last for a week, but after some time there are black spots that appear on them growing bigger until the bananas turn black. We think they are rotten and throw them away. But the fact is that the spots on the banana increase the value of the fruit. The brown spots represent the tumor necrosis factor. This cancer-fighting substance present in the banana helps to fight against abnormal cells in the body; however it is not proven clinically.