venturabananas

I've only tried FHIA 1, 17, and 18 so far. Personally, I wouldn't bother with 17 because it is so similar to the Cavendish I can buy in the supermarket, and kind of nasty when overripe, but it is super productive. FHIA-01 and 18 are both very tasty and sturdy plants.

Thinking about the parentage of the varieties may help you decide. FHIA-01, 18, and SH-3640 all have Dwarf Brazilian as the female parent and so have some of the tartness of that variety. FHIA-02 and 17 are sweet varieties without any tartness, because their parents don't (Williams and Gros Michel -- Highgate -- as female parents respectively). Then there are some FHIA varieties that were derived largely from and intended to be cooking bananas (e.g., FHIA-03 and 25). I think some people like FHIA-03 as a dessert banana, and the plant is tough as nails from what I understand, but I can't comment on its flavor.

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