jbclem

It seems strange to compare the taste of these bananas with supermarket ones...and the supermarket ones win out! The last time I was in Brasil (I grew up there), I drove down the coast from the state of Bahia to Santa Catarina. You could buy the common banana from roadside stands where ever there was a banana plantatiion, they were very cheap. This banana changed names as you went down the coast, I remember it was Branco in Bahia, then changing to Prata. I'm pretty sure it was the one called Santa Catarina and also known as (dwarf or regular) Brasilian. Santa Catarina, my destination, the 2nd to last state going south, is in a cooler area...many Europeans settled there because of the climate. So it's appropriate that the Dwarf Brasilian would be from there, if that's true.

It's hard to forget the taste, it was so good. It was like eating candy. I've never had a banana in the USA that was even remotely close in taste, except for some Cavendish that I grew...they had that sweet kick that is missing in supermarket(and health food store) bananas. That sweet kick had me eating 10 bananas a day on that last trip down the coast of Brasil.

The Brasilian (aka Prata) I knew was definitely a desert banana...I wonder if there is some climatic difference that keeps it from being as good in central California. Lack of humidity, short summers? It'd be interesting to hear some taste opinions from S. Calif and other places.

jc