Usage in culture. Religion

Ray Comfort uses the banana as a proof of the existence of a God. He argues that since it is easily held, has a ripeness indication (colour), is easily peeled, has a biodegradable wrapper and is nutritious must mean that it was designed. Comfort says this designer is the Christian God. However, numerous rebuttals arose explaining the dramatic differences in appearance and nature of the wild variety of the fruit and the domesticated version which has been selectively bred for thousands of years for the characteristics Comfort claimed were divinely created. As a result, in 2006 Comfort conceded that his argument had no validity.

Apples:

Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical and forbidden fruit - Commercially, apples can be stored for some months in controlled-atmosphere chambers to delay ethylene-induced onset of ripening - Applefest is a yearly three-day festival held in Franklin, Pennsylvania that starts the first Friday of October that attracts over 30,000 people - Apple picking is a recreational activity which occurs during harvest time in areas with apple farms - A cooking apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking rather than eating fresh.

Usage in culture. Arts

The poet Bashō is named after the Japanese word for a banana plant. The "bashō" planted in his garden by a grateful student became a source of inspiration to his poetry, as well as a symbol of his life and home.
The song Yes, We Have No Bananas was written by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn and originally released in 1923. Since then the song has been re-recorded several times and has been particularly popular during banana shortages.

Apples:

Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical and forbidden fruit - Commercially, apples can be stored for some months in controlled-atmosphere chambers to delay ethylene-induced onset of ripening - Applefest is a yearly three-day festival held in Franklin, Pennsylvania that starts the first Friday of October that attracts over 30,000 people - Apple picking is a recreational activity which occurs during harvest time in areas with apple farms - A cooking apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking rather than eating fresh.

Usage in culture. Stereotypes

Because of the stereotypical image of monkeys and apes eating bananas, they have been used for racist insults, such as throwing bananas at sports players of African descent.

Apples:

Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical and forbidden fruit - Commercially, apples can be stored for some months in controlled-atmosphere chambers to delay ethylene-induced onset of ripening - Applefest is a yearly three-day festival held in Franklin, Pennsylvania that starts the first Friday of October that attracts over 30,000 people - Apple picking is a recreational activity which occurs during harvest time in areas with apple farms - A cooking apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking rather than eating fresh.

Usage in culture. Peels

The depiction of a person slipping on a banana peel has been a staple of physical comedy for generations. A 1906 comedy record produced by Edison Records features a popular character of the time, "Cal Stewart", claiming to describe his own such incident, saying:

I don't think much of a man what throws a bananer peelin' on the sidewalk, and I don't think much of a bananer what throws a man on the sidewalk, neither. ... my foot hit that bananer peelin' and I went up in the air, and come down ker-plunk, and fer about a minnit I seen all the stars what 'stronomy tells about, and some that hain't been discovered yit. Wall jist as I was pickin' myself up, a little boy come runnin' cross the street and he said, "Oh mister, won't you please do that agin? My mother didn't see you do it."

Apples:

Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical and forbidden fruit - Commercially, apples can be stored for some months in controlled-atmosphere chambers to delay ethylene-induced onset of ripening - Applefest is a yearly three-day festival held in Franklin, Pennsylvania that starts the first Friday of October that attracts over 30,000 people - Apple picking is a recreational activity which occurs during harvest time in areas with apple farms - A cooking apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking rather than eating fresh.

Storage and transport

In the current world marketing system, bananas are grown in the tropics where hurricanes are not common. The fruit therefore have to be transported over long distances and storage is necessary. To gain maximum life bunches are harvested before the fruit is fully mature. The fruit are carefully handled, transported quickly to the seaboard, cooled and shipped under sophisticated refrigeration. The basis of this procedure is to prevent the bananas producing ethylene which is the natural ripening agent of the fruit. This sophisticated technology allows storage and transport for 3-4 weeks at 13 degrees Celsius. On arrival at the destination the bananas are held at about 17 degrees Celsius and treated with a low concentration of ethylene. After a few days the fruit has begun to ripen and it is distributed for retail sale. It is important to note that unripe bananas can not be held in the home refrigerator as they suffer from the cold. After ripening some bananas can be held for a few days in the home refrigerator.

Australian researchers have clearly shown that the use of refrigeration is no longer essential to extend the life of bananas after harvest.

The above references report that the presence of carbon dioxide (which is produced by the fruit) extends the life and the addition of an ethylene absorbent further extends the life even at high temperatures. This simple technology involves packing the fruit in a polyethylene bag and including an ethylene absorbent, potassium permanganate, on an inert carrier. The bag is then sealed with a band or string. This low cost treatment more than doubles the life at a range of temperatures and can give a life of up to 3-4 weeks without the need of refrigeration. The method is suitable for bunches, hands and even fingers.

The technology has been successfully tested over long distances and has been confirmed by researchers in a number of countries. The longest commercial trial was from North Queensland to New Zealand by unrefrigerated rail and ship over 18 days. Importers thought that the treated bananas were harvested on the day of arrival!

Although the technology has been extensively published in recognised scientific journals and has considerable cost savings (including energy savings) it has not been widely adopted. This report is to encourage banana growers in even poor countries to try out the technology themselves. It is suggested that a freshly harvested bunch be taken and a few hands be selected and each cut in two. Half of each hand should be sealed in a polyethylene bag the other half hands should be left untreated. Even without the ethylene absorbent the beneficial effect should be obvious in a few days. Growers can then decide whether to try the full technology.

Apples:

Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical and forbidden fruit - Commercially, apples can be stored for some months in controlled-atmosphere chambers to delay ethylene-induced onset of ripening - Applefest is a yearly three-day festival held in Franklin, Pennsylvania that starts the first Friday of October that attracts over 30,000 people - Apple picking is a recreational activity which occurs during harvest time in areas with apple farms - A cooking apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking rather than eating fresh.

Fibre. Paper

Banana fibre is also used in the production of banana paper. Banana paper is used in two different senses: to refer to a paper made from the bark of the banana plant, mainly used for artistic purposes, or paper made from banana fiber, obtained from an industrialized process, from the stem and the non utilizable fruits. This paper can be either hand-made or made by industrialized machine.

___________

Fruit:

Here are lists of fruits considered edible in some cuisines - Fruits of temperate climates are almost universally borne on trees or woody shrubs or liana - The Family Rosaceae dominates the temperate fruits, both in numbers and in importance - In non-technical usage, berry means any small fruit that can be eaten whole and lacks objectionable seeds - Some fruits native to Asia or of Asian Origin.

Apple:

Cultivars vary in their yield and the ultimate size of the tree, even when grown on the same rootstock - The trees are susceptible to a number of fungal and bacterial diseases and insect pests - At least 55 million tonnes of apples were grown worldwide in 2005, with a value of about $10 billion - Different cultivars of apples have a distinct different taste, and this can be separated into two separate factors of flavour and texture. - An old proverb attests to the health benefits of the fruit: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Fibre. Textiles

The banana plant has long been a source of fibre for high quality textiles. In Japan, the cultivation of banana for clothing and household use dates back to at least the 13th century. In the Japanese system, leaves and shoots are cut from the plant periodically to ensure softness. The harvested shoots must first be boiled in lye to prepare the fibres for the making of the yarn. These banana shoots produce fibres of varying degrees of softness, yielding yarns and textiles with differing qualities for specific uses. For example, the outermost fibres of the shoots are the coarsest, and are suitable for tablecloths, whereas the softest innermost fibres are desirable for kimono and kamishimo. This traditional Japanese banana cloth making process requires many steps, all performed by hand.

In another system employed in Nepal, the trunk of the banana plant is harvested instead, small pieces of which are subjected to a softening process, mechanical extraction of the fibres, bleaching, and drying. After that, the fibres are sent to the Kathmandu valley for the making of high end rugs with a textural quality similar to silk. These banana fibre rugs are woven by the traditional Nepalese hand-knotted methods, and are sold RugMark certified.

_____

Fruit:

Here are lists of fruits considered edible in some cuisines - Fruits of temperate climates are almost universally borne on trees or woody shrubs or liana - The Family Rosaceae dominates the temperate fruits, both in numbers and in importance - In non-technical usage, berry means any small fruit that can be eaten whole and lacks objectionable seeds - Some fruits native to Asia or of Asian Origin.

Apple:

Cultivars vary in their yield and the ultimate size of the tree, even when grown on the same rootstock - The trees are susceptible to a number of fungal and bacterial diseases and insect pests - At least 55 million tonnes of apples were grown worldwide in 2005, with a value of about $10 billion - Different cultivars of apples have a distinct different taste, and this can be separated into two separate factors of flavour and texture. - An old proverb attests to the health benefits of the fruit: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."