Banana

Musa balbisiana

Banana is a fruit sold fresh, with a firm or soft texture. Cooks use the fruit and skin, and banana can be eaten raw, baked, preserved, or steamed.

Plant-based
Gluten-free
No listed allergens

About the plain ingredient, not packaged products; general information, not medical advice. Details

Category: Fruit
Part used: Fruit, skin
Family: Musaceae
Texture: Firm, soft
Cooked most in: Asia, The Americas, Africa
Top country: Indonesia
Dishes: 23 in the catalogue
Energy: 97 kcal per 100 g

Photo: Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In the kitchen

How to use banana

Typical ways to cook or use it

Bake
Preserve
Raw
Steam

Flavour

Taste and texture

Texture

Firm
Soft

Shopping

Choosing and storing banana

In season

Janin season
Febin season
Marin season
Aprin season
Mayin season
Junin season
Julin season
Augin season
Sepin season
Octin season
Novin season
Decin season

In seasonPeak

Sold as: Fresh

Nutrition

What 100 g of banana holds

Per 100 g, raw. Averages from USDA; real values vary by variety, season and growing conditions.

Protein 3%Fat 1%Carbohydrate 96%of the macronutrients by weight

Nutrition per 100 g of banana, raw
Energy	97 kcal · 408 kJ
Protein	0.74 g
Fat	0.29 g
of which saturated	0.11 g
Carbohydrate	23 g
of which sugars	16 g
Fibre	1.7 g
Sodium	0 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg

Nutrition per 100 g of banana, raw: minerals and vitamins
Potassium	326 mg
Calcium	5 mg
Magnesium	28 mg
Zinc	0.16 mg
Vitamin C	12 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)	1 µg
Folate	14 µg

Other forms

Protein 2%Fat 19%Carbohydrate 79%of the macronutrients by weight

Nutrition per 100 g of banana, other form
Energy	309 kcal · 1,293 kJ
Protein	1.5 g
Fat	12 g
of which saturated	3.7 g
Carbohydrate	49 g
of which sugars	3.6 g
Fibre	3.5 g
Sodium	2 mg

Nutrition per 100 g of banana, other form: minerals and vitamins
Potassium	482 mg
Calcium	4 mg
Iron	0.67 mg
Magnesium	58 mg
Zinc	0.23 mg
Vitamin C	3.4 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)	60 µg
Folate	15 µg

Dried

Protein 4%Fat 2%Carbohydrate 94%of the macronutrients by weight

Nutrition per 100 g of banana, dried
Energy	346 kcal · 1,448 kJ
Protein	3.9 g
Fat	1.8 g
of which saturated	0.7 g
Carbohydrate	88 g
of which sugars	47 g
Fibre	9.9 g
Sodium	3 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg

Nutrition per 100 g of banana, dried: minerals and vitamins
Potassium	1,491 mg
Calcium	22 mg
Iron	1.2 mg
Magnesium	108 mg
Zinc	0.61 mg
Vitamin C	7 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)	12 µg
Folate	14 µg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (foods 1105314, 173944, 168199, 173945), public domain. Minerals and vitamins are listed only where USDA measured a non-zero amount.

Around the world

Where banana is cooked

23 dishes in the catalogue use banana. Here is where they come from.

Dishes by continent

Countries whose dishes use it most

Counts are catalogued dishes from each country that list banana among their ingredients.

Origins

Native to: Asia, Australia
First cultivated: in Oceania

The 1500s · South America and Western Africa
Portuguese sailors brought bananas from West Africa to South America.
The 1880s · Northern America
Bananas became more widely consumed in North America during the 1880s.

On the table

Dishes made with banana

22 of the 23 catalogued dishes that use it, spread across the countries they come from.

Rujak soto
Indonesia
Malarrabia
Peru
Sahoaba
Madagascar
Banana Breakfast Cookies
Africa
Undhiyu
India
Bananas Foster French toast
United States
Timphan
Indonesia
Bananas Foster ice cream
United States
Molen banana
Indonesia
Leker Cake
Indonesia
Pais
Indonesia
Putri noong
Indonesia
Barongko pisang
Indonesia
Bubur kampiun
Indonesia
Pallu butung
Indonesia
Getuk pisang
Indonesia
Kolak
Indonesia
Lapek sagan
Indonesia
Amparan tatak
Indonesia
Cingkaruk
Indonesia
Kue precet
Indonesia
Kitawa

Dish lists come from Wikidata; a dish counts when its recorded ingredients include banana.

Good to know

Diet and allergens: banana in detail

These notes describe the plain ingredient. Packaged and prepared products vary, so read the label; for allergies and medical diets ask a doctor or dietitian.

Allergens: None of the 15 listed allergens foundChecked and not found: soy, eggs, fish, milk, lupin, wheat, celery, sesame, mustard, peanuts, molluscs, sulphites, tree nuts, crustaceans, gluten cereals.
Animal origin: No animal ingredients foundChecked and not found: egg, fish, meat, dairy, honey, insect, gelatin, poultry, bone char, shellfish, other animal, animal fining, animal rennet.
Gluten: None
Alcohol: None
Caffeine: None
Pork: None

Family

Related forms

Kinds: cooking banana, Saba banana
Varieties: cooking banana, Saba banana