From east to west
The banana tree originally comes from Southeast Asia. From then on it conquered all tropical countries. It is believed that this delicacy reached Central and South America via Africa and the Canary Islands.
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Banana belt
Due to the fact that the banana needs a lot of sun and rain to thrive, it grows most abundantly in the subtropics and tropics.
These regions are located north or south of the 30th parallel. They are in the tropical belt. Currently, however, not only the countries of Central America are among the most important growing areas. In terms of cultivation volume, India, China and the Philippines in particular are making the big race. However, these bananas are rarely exported.
Export goods become western delicacies
Every supermarket or fruit dealer in Germany now offers fruit bananas for consumption.
These come primarily from:
- Egypt
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Panama
- Vietnam
In these regions, bananas are one of the most important export goods.
Green harvest for a long journey
So that the bananas reach us in an extremely digestible condition, they are harvested green. The entire fruit cluster is cut off with the help of a machete. Then this tuft is washed by hand.
In the next step, the fruit is packed in cardboard boxes. Bananas now reach the exporting countries on the two-week ship route. Some technical support is required so that these do not mature on the ship.
Once in the destination country, there is a stop at a banana ripening facility. After that they are available for sale.
Tips & Tricks
It is advisable to give preference to organic bananas when buying. Their natural origin not only protects the environment. Rather, a safe workplace is guaranteed for the farmers in the individual countries.
