About Banana Day
On the third Wednesday of April, we celebrate one of the most popular foodstuffs, the banana!
The history of National Banana Day cannot be traced to a single date.
Bananas were first brought from India and other Asian countries by Arab traders in the 4th century B.C. The fruit then spread through Africa, eventually making it to the New World by explorers and missionaries.
1865 is known as a significant for being the year bananas became widespread on the American shore. The first enterprise to import bananas into the US was the Boston Fruit Company founded by Lorenzo Dow Baker.
Health benefits of Bananas
Bananas are a good source of dietary potassium and vitamin C. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, and antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin. These health benefits may help to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other chronic conditions.
Fun Facts
Being the oldest cultivated fruit, banana cultivation can be dated to around 10,000 years back.
Before the NYC Sanitation Department was organized, people were slipping on banana peels, and this is where the old movie and cartoon references stem from.
Primarily found in Asia and Africa, there are over 1,000 different varieties of bananas. Cavendish is the one most commonly found in the US.
Bananas, because of their low density, float on water rather than sink.
Bananas are classified as a type of berry.
A green banana is rich in starch. And, as it turns yellow, the starch is converted to sugar.
Around 50% of human DNA matches with that of bananas.
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