a banana being cut into pieces
Your Great Grandma Wouldn't Recognize Bananas Of Today

NEWS

By JONATHAN KESH
a bundle of bananas
Before the 1960s, the "Gros Michel" variety of banana was popular. These have been almost completely replaced by the "Cavendish" variety of banana.
a bundle of Gros Michel bananas
Where the Gros Michel was thick-skinned and sweet, being much firmer and having a stronger taste and smell, the Cavendish is larger and more mildly flavored.
cut up bananas on a cutting board
The Gros Michel became a popular fruit worldwide by the mid-1800s but was almost wiped out by the fungal Panama Disease during the 1950s. Sellers then switched over to Cavendish.
a bundle of bananas in a fridge
You can find Gros Michel bananas, but they’re rare. Most grocery stores sell Cavendish bananas, which also began suffering from a new strain of Panama Disease in the 1990s.