Rmplmnz

Hello Mushtaq,

I have pics of my plant (I need to find) that look identical to Gabe's plant. Look at the purple variegation on the two blooms (the variegation and purple color are consistent between the two plants). I think Merce3 posted similar pictures. So to answer your question it is the camera angle and my picture is very early in the bloom cycle; but the blooms/fruit look the same. I will take some pictures tomorrow for you.

Nomenclature with bananas is tough. I have come across reference to at least three different banana species being referred to as Crocodile Finger. Monkey Finger, Ebon Musak and Pisang Jare Buri. I have seen PJB spelled so many different ways I have lost track. Pisang Jari Buaya, Pisang Jari Buri, Pisang Jari Buari, etc.,

This is one of the challenges we all face.There is so much information contained within the forums it can be difficult to sift through everything. That is why I no longer start new threads (not discouraging anyone else from starting new threads;just me). I have a list of threads I follow/am subscribed to and try and add to those threads (trying to catalog banana information).

PJB is a great plant, very cold sensitive and not widely planted.

Chris

mushtaq86

Hi Chris

Thanks for clearing it up for me

Rmplmnz

Whew..what a pain. Windows 10 image "orientation" tags are a nightmare! Windows explorer shows one orientation, all the other applications show a different. Here we go....

All pictures take 2016 05 30 (unless otherwise noted) Tampa, FL:

Pisang Jari Buaya (there are two Kandarin Racemes surrounding the PJB raceme)


Monkey Finger


Ebon Musak

mushtaq86

You can quite clearly see the difference in the flower bud, between PJB and Monkey finger.Thanks Chris

robguz24

The PJB and Monkey Fingers are quite different. I thought they were supposed to be the same. So PJB is Crocodile Fingers it seems, but is there another name for Monkey Fingers, the plant with the huge rack?

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Rmplmnz

No doubt these two bananas are significantly different.

Don has a pic on the Going Bananas web site of a Monkey Finger raceme with 18 hands of fruit:
Going Bananas of Homestead Florida Banana & Banana Plant Descriptions FINGER

Again we are back to nomenclature.

A friend came over to our garden yesterday with his Caribbean girlfriend and she was quick to correct me that one of the plants we were discussing was a "plantain" and not a "banana". I tried as eloquently as possible to explain that her boyfriend was experiencing bananas with an open mind and that as knowledgeable as some people are that grow up with tropical fruits it is difficult to perceive plants differently than the mind set we grew up with. She took one look at the Ele Ele banana I gave her and stated they were very common in Puerto Rico (until I peeled it and the pulp was orange tinted). She smiled and opened her mind to banana varietal information....

Rob, I apologize as I know this does not answer your question. I like how bananas are discussed in Moorea and Tahiti (French Polynesia) where they refer to bananas two ways. You are looking for Bananas to eat or Bananas to cook?

Paulzie32

I'm very new here... but on the Wiki, I find many contradictory statements to those found on other sites or elsewhere online. For instance,... The Wiki shows "Musa Monkey Fingers" as "Desert banana", But "Musa Ebun Musak" it shows is a "Cooking banana".

Is one a desert and one a cooking banana?

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Have: Mysore, Pisang Klotek, Rajapuri, a Pineapple flavored type (Pisang Raja?), Manzano, Veinte Cohol, Gros Michel, Gran Nain, Double Mahoi, Enano Gigante, Dwarf Cavendish, SDC, TT, SH3640, FHIA-18, a NOT FHIA-18 (?), FHIA 01, Pitogo, Blue Java, Dwarf Red, Dwarf Namwah, Tall Namwah, Orinoco (from 3 locations), Dwarf Orinoco, Cali Gold, Hua Moa, (Red?) Iholena, Dwarf Iholene, Dwarf Puerto Rican, Velutina and growing

Rmplmnz

I love this question!

I gave a friend some very green Monkey Finger bananas and he boiled them green with Salt Fish. It amazes me when I learn yet another way to eat bananas. Hua Moa is tops on my list; green you can make tostones or boil them. When ripe they can be eaten out of hand, pan fried or microwaved (and a few more things I did not mention).

Paul, the good thing is you are local, so you will have the opportunity to taste both!

Gabe15

The difference between dessert and cooking bananas is cultural preference. The bananas don't come with instructions, and you can use them however you like. It's definitely true that different cultivars are appreciated and or lend themselves well to particular recipes or uses, but there isn't anything inherent that dictates whether they must be cooked or eaten raw, or juiced, or brewed, or dried, or ground into flour, or any of the other many different ways to use bananas.

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

mushtaq86

Hi Gabe

majority of us though PJB was monkey finger, just would like your opinion on it.

Thanks

Paulzie32

Thanks Gabe. I always thought of cooking bananas as those that are not as sweet (at least until what many consider over ripe), and are more dense and starchy, and Desert bananas higher in sugar content, Softer when just yellow and more palatable (to many) eaten uncooked.

But like I said, I'm very new here. The more I learn and even think about it, even store bought Cavendish bananas are eaten uncooked OR cooked. I myself have used them in Banana Bread, Pancakes, Bananas Foster and more.
I've also eaten Orinoco uncooked as well as a Plantain bought at the supermarket uncooked and it wasn't horrible. But When Ripe, even those I've fried and then tossed in Cinnamon and Sugar making a nice desert item. So, maybe calling one "Desert" and the other "Cooking" is not a good way to separate them.
Like Rmplmnz mentioned, They're referred to as "Cooking" or "Eating" in some parts of the world... even though Both are "Eating" Bananas, cooked or uncooked/raw.
So, I've been looking at the statement on the Wiki as a "Guide" to which way a banana is preferred or more commonly used and if referred to as a "Desert" banana, I would expect it to be one that is softer, less starchy and eaten raw/uncooked when just yellow.

But the reason I even brought it ups is if both (Monkey and Crocodile fingers) were considered to be the same or confused as the same, but yet one is considered a Desert and one is considered a Cooking banana on the wiki on this site, then where was the confusion? Is one Softer and less starchy?
Looking at Pics they appear to grow differently on the raceme, but maybe that's just the photos I'm seeing.

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Have: Mysore, Pisang Klotek, Rajapuri, a Pineapple flavored type (Pisang Raja?), Manzano, Veinte Cohol, Gros Michel, Gran Nain, Double Mahoi, Enano Gigante, Dwarf Cavendish, SDC, TT, SH3640, FHIA-18, a NOT FHIA-18 (?), FHIA 01, Pitogo, Blue Java, Dwarf Red, Dwarf Namwah, Tall Namwah, Orinoco (from 3 locations), Dwarf Orinoco, Cali Gold, Hua Moa, (Red?) Iholena, Dwarf Iholene, Dwarf Puerto Rican, Velutina and growing