Gabe15

It gets confusing when it is simplified in my opinion, many sources will say things like "the banana and plantain" really to keep it simple. But the truth is, they often neglect to use the proper terminology which are Dessert Banana, Plantain Banana, Cooking Banana, Beer Banana (main groups). They are all bananas, but separated into different groups based on genetics (sometimes) and use. So common sweet bananas that you can eat raw when ripe are Dessert Bananas. Plantain Bananas are a specific group and need to be cooked. Cooking Bananas are like Dessert Bananas (in terms of genetics) but still need to be cooked. Beer Bananas are a smallish specific group from East Africa whose only use is for beer production. I hope this helps clear things up!

__________________
Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.