Wouldn’t it be great to grab a wild banana off a tree and dig in? In this article, we are going to explore whether this is a good idea or will send you to the emergency room. We will also look at the taste of wild bananas and how they are different from their commercially grown cousins.
Are wild bananas edible? Wild bananas are edible and can even be delicious! They are very sweet and creamy but are typically filled with hard seeds. People usually slice wild bananas up to remove the seeds prior to eating.
Unfortunately, you can’t just pick a wild banana, peel it and start munching on it like you would with a commercially grown banana. This is because wild bananas are filled with hard seeds which should not be eaten. The seeds aren’t poisonous but they are not pleasant to eat and are difficult to digest.
You should remove the seeds in a wild banana before you start eating. In Thailand, people will thinly slice wild bananas, get rid of all the seeds, and then serve them in salads. As a dessert, they will BBQ the wild banana and serve it with mango and ice cream, delicious!
How Do Wild Bananas Taste?
Wild bananas taste sweet and creamy. They taste similar to commercially grown bananas but tend to be richer and have a brighter flavor. The only problem is they are usually filled with hard seeds. These seeds need to be removed prior to eating.
Wild bananas do not taste very different from store-bought bananas. However, they tend to have more flavor and extra creaminess, which is absent in many commercially grown bananas. However, wild bananas are annoying to eat because they are loaded with seeds.
You also need to be careful about which wild bananas you decide to eat, as not all are edible. You should avoid wild red bananas, dwarf bananas, and pink velvet bananas as these are not edible and could land you in the hospital!
Do Wild Bananas Taste Different?
Wild bananas taste a little different from commercially grown bananas. Wild bananas tend to be sweeter, creamier, and overall taste fresher than bananas you find at your local store. However, at the end of the day, they are still bananas, and their overall flavor is very similar.
If you are expecting wild bananas to taste completely different from commercially grown bananas, you are bound to be disappointed. Wild and commercial bananas do not taste very different. The biggest difference you may notice is that wild bananas are creamier than store-bought bananas and can have a brighter flavor.
Are Wild Bananas Poisonous?
Wild bananas are not poisonous. You can eat both ripe and unripe wild bananas. The only thing you need to be careful of is the hard seeds which can not only hurt your teeth but cause stomach problems.
Don’t worry you can safely pick a wild banana from the tree and eat it. If you want it to be a pleasant eating experience, make sure you find a ripe wild banana and remove all seeds prior to tucking it in.
What Bananas Are Not Edible?
Did you know there are 1000 different types of bananas? Many types of bananas are inedible as they contain little flesh and are loaded with seeds. Some of the common inedible wild bananas include the red banana, the dwarf banana, and the pink velvet banana.
Even though many types of wild bananas are safe to eat, the number of seeds they contain makes them frustrating and annoying to eat. Sometimes you will get lucky and find a seedless wild banana. These mutated fruits are what commercially grown bananas are derived from.
What Do Wild Bananas Taste Like?
Wild bananas taste very similar to store-bought bananas. Depending on the variety, they can be sweeter and creamier than commercially grown bananas. While other types of wild bananas have a more savory flavor similar to plantain.
Wild bananas can be a hit or a miss. Sometimes you might get lucky and bite into a lovely sweet and creamy without too many seeds. While other times you might bite into a hard, unsweet wild banana and be left with a mouth full of hard seeds.
Can We Eat Banana With Seeds?
You can eat bananas with seeds. However, the seeds are hard and not easy to digest. You should scrape out all of the seeds prior to eating a wild banana.
Nearly all wild bananas contain seeds. These seeds are poisonous, but they can instantly ruin your banana eating experience as they are hard, and there typically is a lot of them. If you find a banana with a lot of seeds, slice up the banana and remove them before you dig in.
Why Do Some Bananas Have Seeds?
Bananas are fruit and all fruits have seeds. Nearly all wild bananas contain seeds, but there are some mutated wild bananas that are seedless.
The reason commercially grown bananas are seedless is because they are the result of combining the Musa Acuminata and the Musa Baalbisiana varieties and have been selectively bred over generations to not contain seeds.
This technique of creating seedless fruit has been done with a number of different types of fruit, including watermelons, tomatoes, and grapes. Bananas which contain seeds are very difficult to eat, and the fruit contains little flesh. By removing the seeds, farmers are able to grow bananas which are not only delicious but easy to eat or cook with.
Where Do Wild Bananas Grow?
Wild bananas grow in the tropical areas of India, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia. They are especially prolific in Thailand. In Thailand alone, there are over 100 varieties of wild bananas.
Wild bananas are extremely common in tropical parts of the world. Wild bananas thrive in hot conditions with lots of sun and rain. You can’t walk very far in Thailand without finding scores of wild bananas.
Final Thoughts
Wild bananas are edible and can even be tasty. Wild bananas are known for being sweet and creamy with a bright freshness. However, as they contain lots of hard seeds, they are not very comfortable to eat. You can still consume wild bananas if you remove all of the seeds, but there won’t be much flesh left. You are better off sticking to commercially grown bananas!
