Question 1
EasyWhat color does a banana usually turn when it is fully ripe?
- Yellow (Correct answer)
- Red
- Blue
- Brown
Source: Red bananas exist too, but the everyday Cavendish ripens to bright yellow.
Bananas are far more than a convenient snack—they're a global crop with a fascinating history shaped by trade, disease, and culinary innovation. From the everyday yellow fruit in your fruit bowl to exotic heritage varieties grown in tropical regions, bananas have fed civilizations and sparked scientific curiosity. Whether you're curious about their botanical origins, their role in nutrition and culture, or the surprising facts behind the world's most consumed fruit, there's plenty to discover about this humble yet remarkable plant. See how much you really know about bananas.
▶ Play today's quizWhat color does a banana usually turn when it is fully ripe?
Source: Red bananas exist too, but the everyday Cavendish ripens to bright yellow.
Bananas are most famous for being a rich dietary source of which mineral?
Source: One banana packs roughly 400 mg of potassium, great for muscle function.
Brown spots appearing on a banana's skin usually mean the fruit is what?
Source: Those spots show starch turning to sugar, so spotty bananas are sweeter.
Bananas are instantly recognizable for having which distinctive shape?
Source: Bananas curve upward as they grow, reaching toward the sunlight.
The yellow, banana-obsessed Minions first appeared in which animated film franchise?
Source: The Minions debuted in Despicable Me before getting their own spin-off movies.
A classic banana split is a dessert built mainly around what?
Source: The banana split was invented in 1904 around three scoops of ice cream.
Which part of a banana do you normally remove before eating it?
Source: Unlike apples, bananas have no core, so you only peel away the skin.
Banana plants grow best in which kind of climate?
Source: Bananas need warm, humid tropics, which is why most are imported from the equator.
A whole cluster of bananas growing together is commonly called a what?
Source: A cluster is a 'hand' of bananas, fittingly enough.
Following on, a single banana within that cluster is known as a what?
Source: Each individual banana is literally called a 'finger' on the hand.
Botanically speaking, a banana is actually classified as which type of fruit?
Source: Surprisingly, bananas are berries, while strawberries technically are not.
Andy Warhol designed an iconic banana cover for which band's debut album?
Source: Warhol's peelable banana fronted The Velvet Underground & Nico in 1967.
The viral artwork of a banana duct-taped to a wall was titled what?
Source: Cattelan's 'Comedian' sold for over $120,000, tape and all.
Plantains differ from dessert bananas mainly because they are usually what?
Source: Starchy plantains are fried or boiled like a vegetable rather than eaten sweet.
Which country is the world's leading exporter of bananas?
Source: India grows the most bananas, but Ecuador ships the most abroad.
The banana plant is the world's largest flowering plant of which type?
Source: Despite its size, the banana 'tree' is really a giant herb with no wood.
Which banana variety dominated world trade before the Cavendish took over?
Source: The Gros Michel was the export standard until disease devastated it mid-century.
How many times does one banana stalk produce fruit before that stalk dies?
Source: Each stalk fruits a single time, then a new shoot from the base takes over.
Roughly how many calories are in a single medium banana?
Source: A medium banana is only around 100 calories despite its filling sweetness.
Which disease today threatens to wipe out the Cavendish banana worldwide?
Source: A new strain of Panama disease is spreading, echoing the Gros Michel's fate.