There are more than 1,000 different types of bananas in the world. So why do we only have one type of banana in the grocery store? This episode is an exploration into the rich diversity of bananas and plantains — and why North American grocery stores only sell one type.

In this episode of Climate Cuisine, Clarissa chats with:

• Rob Dunn, a biologist who wrote the book Never Out of Season about how the modern corporate food system threatens biodiversity and our food supply

• Von Diaz, the food writer and cookbook author behind the collection of recipes and stories from Puerto Rico, Coconuts & Collards 

• Meenakshi J., a freelance journalist who wrote an article about sacred bananas in India

• Vanessa Mota, the writer and food blogger behind My Dominican Kitchen

• Vidya Balachander, the South Asia Journal editor at Whetstone

Here are some highlights:

The Difference Between a Banana and a Plantain

• First, Clarissa clarifies the difference between a plantain and a banana. A plantain is a type of banana, but larger, starchier, and with much thicker skin. 

• Von describes the flavor variances of plantains and how they are used in different dishes in Puerto Rico depending on the stage of maturation they’re in.

Inescapable Nature

• Rob shares how human hubris was a catalyst for his book, Never Out of Season, in which he offers the story of the banana as a microcosm of the industrial food system at large.

• As a reminder that humans don’t have as much control as we think we do, he references the crops grown in the International Space Station. The fact that pathogens were found among the crops showed that even in one of the most controlled environments, those fields were unable to escape complete isolation.

How Cavendish Became Ubiquitous

• Rob tells us the story of the Cavendish banana, tracing the shifts in banana flavor from diverse and complex to more and more one-note. While today we have Cavendish, in the early 1900s, it was the Gros Michel or the “Big Mike” that was the most-planted cultivar of banana in the world… until disease struck.

• Using the story of the banana as an example, Rob shows why it is ill-advised to depend solely on monoculture while completely eschewing diversity.

• Clarissa also relates the history of bloodshed that occurred because of the pursuit for the perfect banana, culminating in the Banana Massacre. 

Bananas as Divine Offerings

• Often associated with fertility or bounty, the banana has a place in many rituals in India. Meenakshi informs us of one of those rituals, in which a particular variety of banana was chosen for a practical reason. 

The Dominican Love for Plantains

• Vanessa talks about the Dominican love for plantains. 

• She introduces us to mangú, one of the most popular dishes in the Dominican Republic. Made using mashed green plantains, the dish is often served with fried Dominican salami, fried eggs, and fried cheese.

The Longtime Use of Plantains and Bananas in South Asia

• South Asians have been cooking with bananas and plantains for a long, long time. Vidya provides examples of their uses. For example, for Jains who cannot consume potatoes, the popular street food pav bhaji is made with plantains instead.

• Aside from the fruit, banana leaves are also a staple in South Asian cuisines—both for cooking with and for eating with. The leaves can be wrapped around a savory filling, as in Dutch Burgher lamprais. They can even be used as plates during a wedding!

Changing the Food System

• Rob’s tips for how to positively engage with the food system, including searching for flavor and buying from local farmers.