DoctorSteve

I have read that some think that the lakatan is the same as the lacatan.
I have also read that the true Filipino Lakatan is most likely different than the Lacatan.

Has anyone grown both of them, seen both kinds, or tasted both kinds?

Gabe15

There are definitely two very different plants with that name. Usually 'Lakatan' is the diploid from the Phillipines, and 'Lacatan' is a type of Cavendish, but I wouldn't doubt the two get mixed up from time to time. I had many 'Lakatan' at one point but they all got BBTV early on. It is supposed to have very good fruit as is a very popular cultivar.

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chasbear

I do grow both types here at my farm and can distinguish between them visually, but I'm no expert. The article you link to at Bananas Quarterly is very misleading since they have lumped lacatan in with morado, which is another banana altogether. What is known here as lakatan and lacatan do not have red skinned fruit or red pseudostems. The lakatan is practically a Philippines national treasure and is sometimes referred to as the "native" variety; lacatan, while obvious to many as being of another genome, is cultivated as more of a commercial crop since the plants are larger and bear more and larger fruits (they closely resemble the cavendish I'm used to in the US supermarkets). When I first became interested in growing them commercially for inter-island export, I was at first concerned that they might not taste quite the same, since this is the reason for wanting to grow them and sell them, filipinos desire to purchase their beloved lakatan, and I don't blame them; they are delicious! But, the flavor of both types is indistinguishable. I've had many filipinos around my island where many native lakatan are grown, look at the fruit of the lacatan and pronounce that they aren't the same (which is true), but in the major cities where they cannot grow bananas the market determines that they are inter-changeable, which of course leads to much confusion!

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DoctorSteve

Thanks guys! I have been wondering for a while now if they were different. I was hoping they were.

I am very interested in the lakatan because I have read that it is higher in carotenoids (ex. http://www.islandfood.org/publications/bulletin.pdf) than other banana varieties. I am on a mission to collect carotenoid rich bananas so a true lakatan interests me a great deal. I have been told not to pay much attention to these studies but I want to find out for myself. Currently I only have a pisang raja but I want more.

Do either of you know how they handle cool weather? I live in zone 9b and want to get my hands on one.

chong

In the Philippines, they are the same. When I was growing up there, it was Lacatan. Then after the wave of national fervor, it became Lakatan since our language does not have the letter "C". Despite the switch from "C" to "K" with many words, a lot of prominent words retained the letter "C". As a side note, there are three different varieties of Lacatan in the Philippines - Davao, Cavite, and common. I would dare anyone to distinguish the taste between them. However, the Davao is tall, Cavite is short (dwarf), and the common is medium height.

Going Bananas call the Lacatan as from Jamaica (Caribbean) - medium height, and Lakatan from the Philippines - tall height. I think they are both from the Philippines. GB says they taste the same.

Many industry articles and pamphlets on bananas do not distinguish between the two.

sunfish

Lakatan from Encanto Farms

pitangadiego

My "Lakatan" came from a friend, but Philippine friends say it is the Philippine Lakatan. Between tall and dwarf, and has long slender bananas, a little less sweet, but stronger flavored. Definitely not a Cavendish variety.

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DoctorSteve

Nice banana Sunfish! So how long have you been growing Lakatan? I am wondering if it will do ok where I live in the Bay Area, zone 9b. I see you are in San Diego, was yours outside this past winter? I know it is a little warmer in the winter there but El Nino did make things a little cooler.

PR-Giants

Bump

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sunfish

Lakatan

venturabananas

Not Philippine Lakatan, sorry Tony and Jon. Tip of the male bud should be rounded.

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sunfish

I can fix that

sunfish

sunfish

PR-Giants

Sarasota Fruit & Nut Society


Both the Jamaican and cousin Philippine 'Lakatan' produce a similar fruit in shape, texture and flavor. Only the height of the plants differ slightly; the Philippine has more red in the leaf margins and is a little taller. Both produce good sized bunches of fruit that has delicious flavor. W.O. Lessard says: "Both plants take a little longer to make their fruit than most bananas. Both are somewhat cold sensitive but only slightly more so than other bananas. The taste of both fruit is nearly identical. Both plants are resistant to Panama Disease but are susceptible to attack by the banana corm borer and nematodes." Heights (Jamaican12+ft. Philippine 14+ft.)

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sunfish

sunfish

Lakatan bud ?

banana farm(lakatan) - YouTube

DoctorSteve

I noticed on the clip posted below that there is a coconut palm at the 8 second mark, right in the middle of the bananas, strange.


Hey let me know how those lacatan taste, and maybe some pictures of the fruit when it is ready.

PR-Giants

I do it throughout my farm.

It's convenient when you're working and are thirsty.

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