There is really no such thing as a banana tree per se. Bananas actually grow on a huge herb plant that has no central woody stem. Found virtually throughout all tropical regions of the world, bananas are a prolific and efficient crop with a high yield per acre, which is why they are so inexpensive compared to other tropical fruit (or just about any fruit, for that matter). Bananas are most popular in the United States, where over 60 per cent of the world's output is consumed. (For some reason, bananas have never really caught on that well in many other non-tropical places - Europe, for example. I don't know why.)

Culinarly speaking:
Bananas are picked while still quite green, and often treated with ethylene gas to facilitate ripening. At home, let them ripen at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. If you want to hurry this process along, place them in a paper bag away from intense heat, but remember to check them daily, as they can quickly become "overdone." Bananas are starchier when less ripe, and that starch gets converted to sugar as they ripen. (You can perceive this in the texture.) They may be stored in the refrigerator once they reach the desired degree of ripeness, and will keep well chilled‹staying firm, but blackening on the outside, which doesn't really matter, except perhaps aesthetically.

Nutritionally speaking:
Ripe bananas are a good energy source -- 17 to 19 per cent pure fruit sugar. They are also a good stomach-soother. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, and have more vitamin C than apples.

BANANA HISTORY
Although they were abundant for centuries in the West Indies, bananas were virtually unknown in the United States before the mid-19th century. A few bunches made their way north beginning around the time of the Civil War, arriving via boat in New Orleans, with each fruit wrapped individually in foil like a precious object. At that time, a single banana was worth a dollar‹a huge amount of money in those days! Because of the intense perishability of the fruit, it took a while for people to figure out how to create a viable banana trade, which developed over time with improved packing and transportation methods. Now, of course, bananas are so common and plentiful we take them for granted.