original native ranges of ancestors of modern edible bananas. musa acuminata shown in green , musa balbisiana in orange.
farmers in southeast asia , papua new guinea first domesticated bananas. recent archaeological , palaeoenvironmental evidence @ kuk swamp in western highlands province of papua new guinea suggests banana cultivation there goes @ least 5000 bce, , possibly 8000 bce. other species later , independently domesticated elsewhere in southeast asia. southeast asia region of primary diversity of banana. areas of secondary diversity found in africa, indicating long history of banana cultivation in region.
actual , probable diffusion of bananas during islamic times (700–1500 ce)
phytolith discoveries in cameroon dating first millennium bce triggered yet unresolved debate date of first cultivation in africa. there linguistic evidence bananas known in madagascar around time. earliest prior evidence indicates cultivation dates no earlier late 6th century ce. likely, however, bananas brought @ least madagascar if not east african coast during phase of malagasy colonization of island south east asia c. 400 ce.
the banana may have been present in isolated locations elsewhere in middle east on eve of islam. spread of islam followed far-reaching diffusion. there numerous references in islamic texts (such poems , hadiths) beginning in 9th century. 10th century banana appears in texts palestine , egypt. there diffused north africa , muslim iberia. during medieval ages, bananas granada considered among best in arab world. in 650, islamic conquerors brought banana palestine. today, banana consumption increases in islamic countries during ramadan, month of daylight fasting.
bananas grown in christian kingdom of cyprus late medieval period. writing in 1458, italian traveller , writer gabriele capodilista wrote favourably of extensive farm produce of estates @ episkopi, near modern-day limassol, including region s banana plantations.
bananas introduced americas portuguese sailors brought fruits west africa in 16th century.
many wild banana species cultivars exist in extraordinary diversity in india, china, , southeast asia.
there fuzzy bananas skins bubblegum pink; green-and-white striped bananas pulp color of orange sherbet; bananas that, when cooked, taste strawberries. double mahoi plant can produce 2 bunches @ once. chinese name of aromatic go san heong banana means can smell next mountain. fingers on 1 banana plant grow fused; produces bunches of thousand fingers, each inch long.
in 1999, archaeologists in london discovered believed oldest banana in uk, in tudor rubbish tip.
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