Wholesale Sugar Bananas

Sugar Bananas is a generic term which encompasses over 150 banana types globally.

There are more than 500 different types of bananas.

By far the most common banana in Australia as of 2024 is the Cavendish banana. Lady Finger bananas are the second most popular bananas in Australia.

Many shops and markets often sell different varieties of small bananas as "Sugar Bananas" - which they use as an umbrella term for many smaller bananas. One quick example is the Ducasse Banana which is also commonly referred to as a Sugar Banana.

A few other examples of "Sugar Bananas"

Finger Banana (Niño) Bananas: These short, chubby bananas, sometimes sold as Lady Finger bananas, average less than 10 cms inches in length. When ripe, the skin is bright yellow. They are very sweet and creamy.

Orinoco Bananas: Squatty and slightly square at the edges, these bananas are slightly tangy and lemony. When ripe, the fruit is soft and the skin is yellow with black spots.

Ice Cream (Blue Java) Bananas: These rather chubby bananas can grow to up to 7 inches long. The skin is a blotchy, silvery-blue and the flesh is creamy white. The flavour is somewhat like rich ice cream.

Manzano Bananas: Also called apple bananas, these short chubby bananas have a mild flavour reminiscent of apples (and some say strawberries). The skin turns black when fully ripe.

Red Bananas: These sweet bananas have purple or maroon skin when ripe. Their flesh is creamy white tinged with pink or orange.

Other end of the banana scale

Plantains: Both the African Plantain banana and the Pacific Plantain banana belong to the same plant family as bananas, but they have high starch content, and are cooked and served like a vegetable. When allowed to ripen, some varieties of plantain go through the same color changes as regular bananas.

Unlike their miniature cousins, the "Plantains" represent the other end of the Banana scale with some - like the Rhino Horn Plantain - recorded growing to over a massive 60 cms and weighing in at around 2 Kg (over 4.4 lbs).

The picture below is around 1.5 kg and just under 60 cms. (the ruler below is in inches)

For example - Thailand

Did you know that in Thailand (as just one example), there are 28 commonly grown and commercially sold Bananas? Thailand is reported to have over 200 varieties of bananas but only around 28 are commercially grown.

Most of them are smaller varieties and many Westerners often refer to them collectively as "Sugar Bananas".

Compare that to Australia where the majority of people have only heard of Lady Fingers and Cavendish bananas.

Also in Thailand (and other SE Asian Countries), you can find "Mini Me" banana trees which only grow to a height of around 60 centimeters.

These Mini Me banana trees are actually called the "Truly Tiny Banana Trees" and they are sold on Amazon (IF you live in the USA).

Gluay Hom (Fragrant Banana) is a popular everyday snack and looks similar to the banana in the first picture.

Gluay Khai (Egg Banana) is short with a golden-yellow skin when ripe. This banana is very popular dried, or in cakes or deserts.

BTW

Hom Thong (Gros Michel) is another popular Thai banana which can still be found growing in Thailand. Medium sized, it is similar to the Cavendish, but with a much finer skin. It is aromatic and beautifully sweet tasting when ripe.

If you ever travel to Thailand, ask for the "Hom Thong" (Gros Michel) as these were very popular over 50 years ago until the Panama disease wiped out commercial crops around the world.

Gros Michel can also still be found in non-commercial quantities in some parts of SE Asia and central Africa (like the Congo) etc.