The Top Contender: Plantain
The most similar fruit to a standard dessert banana, by every measure, is the plantain. While many people in North America and Europe consider them to be different fruits, they are both part of the Musa genus and are technically different types of bananas. Their appearance—elongated shape and thick peel—makes them easy to confuse, but their differences in starch content and culinary use are what truly set them apart.
The Botanical Connection
Both bananas and plantains are products of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Musaceae. The scientific name for cultivated hybrids of these fruits is Musa × paradisiaca. Their shared ancestry, derived from the wild species Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, explains their similar look and growth patterns. Most commercial dessert bananas, like the Cavendish, descend primarily from Musa acuminata, while many plantains and other cooking bananas are hybrids of both.
Key Differences in Ripeness and Use
The most significant distinction lies in how plantains are consumed. Whereas a ripe dessert banana is soft and sweet enough to be eaten raw, plantains are starchier and less sugary, requiring cooking at almost every stage of ripeness.
When a plantain is green and unripe, it is very starchy, tough, and tastes similar to a potato. This is the ideal stage for savory preparations, such as frying to make crispy chips (tostones) or boiling in stews. As it ripens and its skin turns yellow, then black, the starch converts to sugar, but it never reaches the same sweetness or softness as a dessert banana. Even when fully ripe, a plantain remains firm and is best when cooked, often fried to create a sweet side dish called maduros.
Other Fruits with Similar Qualities
While the plantain is the undisputed most similar fruit to a banana, other tropical and subtropical fruits offer interesting parallels in texture, flavor, or application.
Exotic Varieties with Banana-like Traits
- Jackfruit: When young and unripe, this large, spiky fruit has a neutral, starchy flavor and a stringy texture, making it a popular vegan substitute for pulled pork. Ripe jackfruit, however, develops a sweet, tropical flavor reminiscent of pineapple and banana.
- Pawpaw: A North American native fruit, the pawpaw has a creamy, custard-like texture akin to an overripe banana. Its flavor is a unique blend of banana, mango, and pineapple.
- Monstera Deliciosa (Mexican Breadfruit): This fruit, from the same plant family as the popular houseplant, offers a creamy pulp when ripe, with a combined flavor of banana and pineapple.
- Blue Java Banana: Nicknamed the "ice cream banana" for its creamy, custardy texture and vanilla-like flavor, this variety is smaller than a Cavendish and has a distinctive blue peel when unripe.
- Red Banana: These are slightly shorter and plumper than Cavendish bananas, with a reddish-purple skin and sweeter, tangier flavor.
A Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Dessert Banana (e.g., Cavendish) | Plantain (Cooking Banana) |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Smaller, thinner skin, bright yellow when ripe | Larger, thicker skin, stays green or yellow until fully ripe/blackened |
| Ripeness Indicator | Green to yellow to brown spots | Green to yellow to black |
| Taste (Ripe) | Sweet, creamy flesh | Mildly sweet, starchy, firmer flesh |
| Culinary Use | Primarily eaten raw; used in sweet applications | Must be cooked; used in savory dishes like vegetables |
| Starch/Sugar | Lower in starch, higher in sugar when ripe | Higher in starch, lower in sugar when ripe |
| Potassium (per 100g) | Approx. 358mg (USDA data) | Approx. 465mg (FoodStruct data) |
| Vitamin C (per 100g) | Approx. 8.7mg (USDA data) | Approx. 10.9mg (FoodStruct data) |
| Primary Region | Exported globally from Central and South America | Staple in Caribbean, African, Latin American cuisine |
Shared Nutritional Profile and Health Benefits
Despite their differences in taste and use, bananas and plantains offer comparable nutritional benefits. Both are a good source of fiber, which promotes digestive health, and potassium, an essential mineral for regulating blood pressure. They also contain important vitamins and antioxidants, including vitamin C and B6. While the cooking method can impact the final nutrient content, incorporating both into a balanced diet provides a rich variety of health-promoting compounds.
How to Identify and Cook Different Varieties
Beyond the primary banana/plantain distinction, other varieties have unique culinary applications. Red bananas are best enjoyed raw when fully ripe and sweet, whereas cooking bananas like the Saba variety from the Philippines are used in traditional savory dishes. Always judge ripeness by skin color and firmness, and remember that for plantains and other starchy types, cooking is a must.
Conclusion
In the final analysis, the plantain stands out as the most similar fruit to the common banana due to their close botanical relationship within the Musa genus. While visually comparable, their differing starch and sugar levels dictate vastly different culinary uses, with bananas prized for their sweet, raw consumption and plantains valued for their versatility as a cooked vegetable. Other fruits like jackfruit and pawpaw offer interesting parallels, but none share the same deep-rooted kinship with the banana as the humble plantain.
For more in-depth information on the nutritional science behind this comparison, see this detailed resource from Healthline.
