Bananas and plantains are both classified through their botanical classification, plus apart from this, they both have something that is most common and obvious, which is their appearance. Not just appearance, they also share many nutritional and health values.
Plantains and bananas are major sources of some vital nutrients like potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and many other antioxidant compounds like 2, 3, 4. They both are also healthy sources of complex carbohydrates that people might not find in many other fruits. Well, these were their similarities, but they have lots of differences too.
Plantain vs Banana
The main difference between plantain and banana is that plantain is not that common amongst people, while bananas are primary in many household fruit baskets. Although, people might get confused between plantain and bananas as they look alike. However, the main aspect to keep in mind is that you cannot substitute them with each other in a recipe because they might look alike but do not taste the same.
Plantain is a term that refers to a different type of banana that just looks like it but has a different taste and culinary application, while banana is sweet and has a yellowish look and most people are familiar with it. As mentioned, bananas are grown in south0east Asia. Plantains are grown all over the world that includes India, Egypt, Indonesia, and some tropical areas of America.
In some edible fruits that are produced by various large herbaceous plants in the genus of Musa, the term used to call them is banana. They are most commonly used in the north part of America and the European cuisine. But the interesting fact here is they are originally from the south-eastern part of Asia. They usually have a shape slender and have thick skin.
Comparison Table Between Plantain and Banana
| Parameters of Comparison | Plantain | Banana |
| Originate | Plantains originate from India, Egypt, Indonesia, and some tropical areas of America. | Bananas originate from the south-eastern part of Asia. |
| Cuisine | Plantains are most common in cuisines like Latin, Caribbean, and African | Bananas are eaten mostly in North America and European cuisine. |
| Edible | Plantains are only edible when once cooked properly. | Unlike plantain, bananas can be eaten either raw or after cooked. |
| Appearance | Plantains look like bananas only. | Bananas look like long slender-shaped fruit with the yellow-colored outer skin. |
| Healthier | Plantains are healthier once they are cooked properly. | Bananas are healthier when they are eaten raw. |
What is Plantain?
As mentioned before, bananas have many different types, and plantains are one of them. However, the fact about plantains is that they just look like bananas because of their botanical classification, but they taste nothing like it and have a very different culinary use. What makes them different is their large size and thicker skin from a banana, and they are also tougher than bananas.
They are usually quite starchy, and the taste is not that sweet as compared to that of a banana. Apart from the taste, what defines them is they are eaten once properly cooked as they can’t be enjoyed when eaten raw like bananas. They are most common in cuisines like Latin, Caribbean, and African. Rather than fruit, they are more similar to a vegetable.
What is Banana?
Banana is one of the most common fruit eaten by most people around the world. It originates from the south-eastern part of Asia. Many different types of bananas exist but what happens in the western culture is that the term bananas are used for describing something naturally sweet and have a yellowish look.
The yellow appearance of the banana is a sign that it is ripped and ready to eat. When the skin is green and is quite difficult to peel, it means the banana is still unripe. The skin starts to change its color to yellow that is followed by dark brown, and the skin becomes much easier to peel. They either can be eaten raw or can be cooked as the edible part of the banana becomes sweeter and sweeter.
Main Differences Between Plantain and Banana
- The main difference between plantain and banana is their flavor, along with the way they are made.
- The areas from where they originate differ from each other. Plantains originate from India, Egypt, Indonesia, and some tropical areas of America, while Bananas originate from the south-eastern part of Asia.
- Their cuisines are different from each other too. Plantains are most common in cuisines like Latin, Caribbean, and African, while Bananas are eaten mostly in North America and in European cuisine.
- Well, the way they are both eaten matters the most, Plantains are only edible when once cooked properly, but unlike plantain, bananas can be eaten either raw or after being cooked.
- Plantains look like bananas only, while Bananas themselves look like long slender-shaped fruit with yellow-colored outer skin.
- They both are healthy in their own way as they are filled with multiple nutritional values, but Plantains are healthier once they are cooked properly, while Bananas are healthier when they are eaten raw.
Conclusion
It concludes now that bananas and plantains are both two different fruits plantains are more like a vegetable as they can’t be eaten raw like a banana. Although plantain is a type of banana only it does not taste like it and cannot be used as a substitute for a banana. The major difference in them is their flavor, along with the way they are prepared. Their cuisines also differ from each other a lot of pus their originalities. The areas and countries where they originate differ too. The thing to keep in mind is that both of them are whole foods, and containers have an immense amount of fiber in them. This is also helpful in reducing the blood sugar level in some people.
References
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-011-0737-2_11
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=atU1s-IQdnIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA267&dq=what+is+plantain&ots=7N0VhaOz_D&sig=34okwhistv6PaaNAr4QCjQHjwdM