I had a little bit of a trip to the Daintree Rainforest the other day. Situated in northern Queensland, it represents an incredible center of biodiversity in Australia. This tropical rainforest is home to thousands of species of plants, many of which are unique to this part of the world. Of course, one of my favorite things about being in the tropics is the abundance of fruit!
At the side of a road, I spotted a couple of bananas growing. Bananas are a commercial crop in this area, and so are under strict regulation. I think it’s pretty likely that these plants are from one of the farmers in the area, and have been given special status as landscape plants in this spot. I’m guessing Musa acuminata ‘Cavendish’. I like how they look, regardless.
There were a few bunches of bananas hanging from these plants, in various stages of ripening. How I wish I could have the luxury of letting my bananas fruit whenever they want, and harvesting them whenever they are ready!
I’ve been eating different kinds of bananas lately, which really isn’t possible back in the US. I’ve found one in particular, Musa acuminata ‘Dwarf Ducasse’ is my new favorite. It is small enough to be a nice snack, sweet enough to be a dessert, and light enough in flavor and texture to not even seem like a banana (by mainland USA standards). Hands down my favorite fruit! Eating a Ducasse is more like eating ice cream than a piece of fruit. I really need to find more of them somewhere…
Big Leaves 