The Difference...
 

Can anyone explain the difference between Cavendish and Grand Nain? They are both pretty much Cavendish, right? Do they taste different? Also, does the fruit from a dwarf tree taste the same as the fruit from it's full sized counterpart?

Re: The Difference...
 

I heard Gran nain tastes better but honestly, I do not know...

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Grand naine is significantly larger. It will however produce bigger bunches and from my experience is less prone to choking than DC.

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Chiquita is gran nain. Buy some and buy another brand like dole or delmonte and compare. I hate cavendish and buy only Chiquita. My mom gave me a gran nain and compared to my dwarf cavendish has a more red stem when smaller and petioles have glaucus chitin on gran nain and none on dwarf cavendish. So far the gran nain is tougher but not as growth hardy. Dwarf cavendish grow fast and multiplies like gremlins in a swimming pool.

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GN are in the Cavendish family. I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure dole and del Monte are also GN, not DC.

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Both companies make videos. They explain it. Be sure as you like but the companies themselves clarify it.

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What, exactly, does it mean for a banana to choke? I can figure out the general idea, but need details.

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Info:Choking - Bananas Wiki

All is explained there...

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Sometimes I forget how thorough this site is. Thanks.

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This is choking.
Info:Choking - Bananas Wiki

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No problem!

Re: The Difference...
 

Cavendish is a subgroup, meaning it is a cluster of cultivars which are all clonal mutations originating from an ancestral single seedling at some point in the past. 'Gran Nain' is a cultivar, one of dozens (perhaps even hundreds, it gets difficult to account for them all and to define cultivars sometimes), within the Cavendish subgroup.

There are various Cavendish cultivars in production around the world, and most big companies use proprietary clonal selections, not necessarily the classic 'Gran Nain'. 'Gran Nain' is a very large dwarf Cavendish variation, but there are also shorter tall/"giant" Cavendish variants which are similar.

Most Cavendish cultivars vary in size of the plants, and size of the bunches, but also in finger shape, leaf orientation, fruit post harvest characteristics, and some disease resistance. I've never found the flavor of various Cavendish cultivars to significantly vary, but I suppose it's possible. They are also so widely grown, that the variations in growing conditions and post harvest handling can significantly alter the flavor, but that doesn't mean that the difference is due to different cultivars.

Re: The Difference...
 

I have had Dole, and bought Chiquita because it's supposed to be GN but found no discernible difference except they seemed slightly smaller and thinner.(Maybe a tad creamier) I know the organics are also Cavendish, but they are much better. Has to be in how they are grown. Finally tried some reds, not a big difference, but were good. Thick hide on the reds from Walmart.

Re: The Difference...
 

I noticed today that 2 cloned mulberries in my yard produced totally different fruit. Both are identical yet fruit different suggest to me you may be on to something. I live off bananas probably more than most people. I only buy dole or del monte if I am hard up. Even then when I buy them I often don't finish them. I can easily eat 10 a day.