the history of the banana

The History of the Banana

Their historic journey takes them all the way back to the Malaysian jungles of Southeast Asia. It is believed bananas originated in Malaysia because so many varieties of bananas are found there today.

Bananas were probably the first fruit farmed by man. Their history is recorded all the way back to Alexander the Great's conquest of India, where he first discovered bananas in 327 B.C.

Want to know more, then read on......

10000 BC, Neolithic fisher-folk used bananas for food and the plant fibre for cloth making.
Early in the 16th century Spanish missionaries carried plants to the Dominican Republic and on to South & Central America and the Caribbean.
By the 18th century small quantities of bananas are arriving in Britain as luxury goods, usually tucked away in the captain's cabin.
By the early 1880's there are regular (small) shipments to Ireland.
By 1895, "E.W.Fyffe, Son & Co. Fruit Growers & Importers" are referred to in the press as the largest banana merchants in Europe.
In 1901, Elder Dempster import bananas from Jamaica in a refrigerated ship.
In 1929 Fyffes introduce the Fyffes Blue Label so that Fyffes bananas can be easily identified in shops - the first fruit in the world to be labelled in this way.
Ships did not carry bananas during World War II.
On 30th December 1945 the first commercial shipment of bananas (10 million of them!) since the War into Avonmouth aboard the SS Tilapa arrived.
In 1961 bananas are shipped in cartons rather than in wooden boxes.
In 1984 The Banana Group is formed to generically promote bananas. 300,000 tonnes of bananas are imported into the UK.
In 1995 600,000 tonnes of bananas are imported into the UK. - consumption had virtually doubled in 10 years!!

How Bananas Got Their Name

Bananas received a new name each time a different group of people were introduced to them. In fact, centuries ago bananas were called "banna" and "ghana" and even "funana." The Africans are credited with giving the banana its permanent name.

In India, bananas were called "Fruit of the Wise Men." According to Indian legend, wise men meditated under the shady, green leaves of banana plants. Don't you wish you had a banana plant in your back garden?