My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

With all the whoplah going on about the real Ice Cream aka Blue Java, I just thought I would post this for the folks trying to get that elusive plant. We have them here where I work in the Marshall Islands and they are very hardy out here, they get very tall and faily easy to grow and fairly resistant to the salty tradewinds we get. But the Mysore seems to be a better tasting fruit not only by me but also the local Marshallese people. It's (Mysore) just a little more finiky to grow here. The local name for Mysore is "300" because they say that they have as many as "300" bananas in a bunch.
Blue Java which is considered a cooking banana by the locals are simply called the "Cooking Banana". It's not a bad tasting banana by any means but not my top preferance. One of the best tasting bananas I've had was a Dwarf Cavendish in Bermuda and a Manzano in Texas, and of course the local Mysore here. I am thinking that the Ice Cream I purchased back home is not really an Ice Cream at all but a "Tall Namwah" instead, and I am thinking that I'll enjoy the fruit just as well if not better than Ice Cream. Please know that I am not an expert and this info is only relative, and mostly my personal preferance and only trying to provide the members with info that they may not get due to their location and growing zone. Your milage may vary.
Bo

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

I know for a fact that they have it at San Diego Botanical Gardens. pitangadiego also has it I believe.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

I have 1,sdpanther has 1.venturabananas has 2 and somebody else got one from me. Whoohoo

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Bo, I think you make a very good point. As long as I get a good tasting banana, the name becomes less important.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Being one of those people who likely have a handful of tall Namwahs and not the true Ice Cream, this post is pretty helpful for me. I'm aware though and have seen an increasing amount of posts that don't seem to shed a good light on the flavor of the true Ice Cream, but, I think it is worth trying. It's like getting a Veinte Cohol, yeah sure so far the flavor from personal experiences online here seem to be rather sad, but, it's worth a shot for me. The short and quick growth and ripening are surely something to try! Same with the Ice Cream - hardy, beautiful blue color, and a flavor worth experimenting I'd say is good enough for me.

I'm just wondering what the chances are, though, that my first Ice Creams I got last year were true to type. When I bought them it wasn't from a huge nursery and they didn't seem like TC plants, so, who knows.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

I can say mine was all green. I liked the fact it was hardy. I wasn't putting it in a pot to get banana's in 3-4 years. :^)

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Mis-marked banana plants from places like Lowes and Walmart makes banana identification even worse. Then how many of us have planted something, did not write it down or mark it then forget what it is or which one was planted where.

Like fruit trees, a lot of bananas look the same until they fruit.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Nurseries often get their stock from sometimes unknown sources. I had a few nurserymen come by my farm to dig corms that they would then split and pot and a lot of things can go wrong between the source and the consumer. This is impractical advice to most people but if you want a variety of a certain banana either buy from someone who is a banana expert or actually take a look at the plant you are getting the sucker from. Off types exist. I know I must have had 4-5 different bunch phenotypes for Hua Moa.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

How sure are you that it is really Blue Java?

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Well you live in Hawaii, so it's almost certain you have the real Blue Java :ha:

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Julian....It has been identified by Gabe, and the fruit have the bluish greenish flouresent hue. This is the most common banana cultivar where I am presently working in the Pacific. The Ice Cream here is looked at the way we look at the common and local "Orinoco" back along the Gulf Coast. My post was mostly to encourage our members who either don't have the IC or maybe they are not for sure.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Just checking. It seems to be an elusive nana.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

:ha: You're right, it may be a pigment of my imagination.
Bo

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Good one.:08:

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Hey!

You bring your pigmented imagination back home and we'll get some coffee and argue about it!

Make sure you bring some bloom closeups for evidence since you can't bring the banana. What is it? One month, One week and four days?

I posted some Ice Creme/Blue Java/Tall/Namwah/Orinoco bloom pics in my Ice Creme thread.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

When I bought a Ice cream from a local nursery a few months ago, I asked a worker about the taste of ripened Ice Cream and Dwarf Orinoco because they were side by side.. He said, that the Ice Cream is pretty good, and that the Dwarf Orinoco was not that good ripe, but that it was good for cooking. He then said I should buy the Dwarf Apple.:waving:

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Julian...I think ice cream would taste a little better than Orinoco but I have to go with the guy who said my favorite is the one that's blooming, he he.
Charles....39 days and counting WOOOHOOO!!! And I'm seeing all those pics you are posting and I'm soooo envious. By the way, that really looks like Goldfinger to me.
I'll get lots of closeups of the Ice Cream while I'm here.
Bo

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Bo you gave me an IC pup back in October 2010 - it now has several pups but has not flowered yet even though I winterized the last two winters.
This plant has a pinkish center stem and pink borders on the leaves.
The pup is about 10-12 feet high. Does that sound like an IC?

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Hi Jose,
I'm 0 for 2 on IC. I think I got mine the same day you did. I believe Bo was told the wrong name when he got his.

Sound good I'll get some coffee beans ready.

Julian,
I found nothing wrong with the taste of "ripe" Orinoco. Compared to the standard store bought they were a smoother creamier and I thought good flavor. I can't wait to try my Goldfingers and a "real" Blue Java.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Charles - thanks for the info - have you figured out what variety the IC imposter might be?
Unfortunately, my Goldfinger pup from Bo didn't make it thru the 2010 winter. Man, your nanas look great. You must be doing something right.
:2738:
Forgot to mention. My orinoco patch has nanas. didn't see them til the purple cover dropped to the ground
Patch is very thick with pstems - maybe I'll thin out this season. Only a couple of hands but hope I'l be eating home grown this year.
How long should they take to ripen?

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

The "fake" Ice Cream is a type of Namwah, a really cold hardy, nice plant that makes great tasting fruit.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

caliboy is dead on, Amanda, aka alemily posted pics a few months back of her "Tall Namwah" and I did'nt connect the dots when she said she purchased it from Davis Nursery as "Ice Cream". That's where I got my Ice Cream also. So I am thinking we have "Tall Namwah". The pics that Amanda posted looks like a very hardy and productive banana. But the Goldfinger I got from Davis is really a goldfinger ( I think).
Jose....we have a few new members from our area and I can't wait to meet them, Coast Crab, aka Russell, alemily aka Amanda, Chance 1945 aka Terry, and I think Charles knows another guy over in the Pensacola area, maybe sbl. And I moved alot of stuff around in my yard last year so I sould have plenty of pups to give away. I am thinking about the first week of August what do you folks think? I also want to go sometime over to see Chris in Tampa sometime or another, I was ok until he started talking about that Bamboo, he he.
Bo

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Bo - Thanks for the update - August should work for me. I know you are looking forward to getting home.
Would love to meet new banana people

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Yes the consensus is Tall Namwah and I'm glad to have it!

If you want one we'll find a Goldfinger pup for you.

This is why mine made it the Winter of 2010!


and this

and this

and even this shot Feb. 21, 2011. See the leaf pushing out the top bag!


Last year I did nothing but we were lucky. Most of my larger plants receive regular watering from the vegetable garden or blueberry patch. I do not fertilize like I should. I just don't have enough hours to get everything done.

Right at four months from bloom. Yours should make it. Most recommend cutting the entire bunch at filling or first color. I like being able to take a knife and cut two or three at a time, sometimes even one to eat right then. It will depend on your critter activity and some varieties will have splitting issues but my Orinoco did not.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Hi everyone - :woohoonaner:
The "Ice Cream" aka Tall Namwah donated to me by Bo in October 2010 has pups and even better has a bloom and naners.
I just posted pics to my gallery.
:08:
So, Charles - does this look like Namwah? and do you know how long to ripen?
:0517:

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

That's awesome! :08:

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Congrats Jose...looks like you'll be eating home grown naners this year. They look just like Amanda's and Charle's Namwah to me.
Bo

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Looks like a banana-mummy.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Jose,

The bloom looks like an Orinoco to me.

Post a bloom close up and someone will ID it!

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Darkman - attached closeups of the nana and plant leaf of the aka. IC, Tall Nimwah, or orinoco - the fruit don't seem to have have same shape as what I think is my orinoco also fruiting this year.
my aka Orinoco pstems are 14-16 feet solid green leaves- this plant is only about 10-12 feet high. and leaves have a pink outline and stem.
Thanks

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

The fruit doesn't look quite as angular as Orinoco to me. Looks more like Namwah

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

The Orinoco’s angularity is definitely not there. I'm guessing no more blooms. Does the TN bloom resemble the Orinoco's?

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Darkman - when you say TN bloom vs orinoco bloom are you referring to the remaining purple pods?
The TN started more golden colored and I thnk alittle more elongated but both are now purple roughly the same shape :waving:-
how do i know when there are male flowers - i understand that the remaining pod should be cut off at that point?

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

The bloom is the flower structure that is attached to the immature banana that is exposed by the very colorful what you refered to as pods.

When you do not see small bananas behind the bloom it is a male. If you had good photos of the female bloom attached to the small bananas then there are some here, not me, that can say what banana you have.

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Looking at the fruit and the leaves it is definitely fake/real Icecream (aka NamWah) since I have that and Dwarf Orinoco that just put out some bloom/fruit I can definitely say it is not Orinoco.

Feels kind of good to be able to make that statement based on my own fruit here in Dallas! :ha:

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Is the Blue Java/Ice Cream offered by Going Bananas the real deal? Anybody know?

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

two plants sold as ice cream Blue java. Any chance either one is real?

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Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Re: My thoughts on "real" Blue Java
 

Not sure but I believe you'll need more photos including a bloom shot to be sure.