Sri Lanka has a long history as one of the finest fruit producers in the world. Among all, Sri Lanka is famous for top qualty bananas. It is home to many varieties of Banana which comes in different shapes, colors, sizes, textures, and flavors. Bananas grow freely all over Sri Lanka, all year round. They are cultivated in large, medium, and small orchards, as well as home gardens. Therefore, bananas are readily available fruit in the country.
Banana is a super fruit rich in nutrition. Being rich in potassium and many other vitamins, bananas can consider natural energy bars. Reportedly, there are almost 1,000 varieties of bananas in the world, while Sri Lanka boasts 29 varieties. Sri Lankan bananas are divided into three main groups: the Cavendish, the Kolikuttu, and the Mysore. The banana varieties in each group have different characteristics.
Cavendish Group
Without a doubt, the Cavendish banana is the most famous banana group in the country. Sri Lanka produces top-quality Cavendish bananas and exports them to several countries. Most probably, this is the major kind of banana many westerners have known. The major varieties belonging to this Cavendish group are Anamalu, Ambon, Bim kesel, and Nethrapalam.
Kolikuttu Group
Kolikuttu bananas are the most expensive group in the country. They can be easily identified by their appearance. These bananas are stout, plump, and blunt-ended than other cousins of varieties. The major varieties belonging to this group are Kolikuttu, Suwendel, Puwalu, and Red banana.
Mysore Group
This group includes the ever-popular Ambul and Seeni bananas. They are widely available and much less expensive than other counterparts.
Here in this post, we are going to introduce you 10 delicious banana varieties you’ll find in Sri Lanka. Hope you all enjoy this delightful superfruit while traveling in the country.
1. Anamalu
Anamalu or Gros Michel banana is a widespread Cavendish banana variety in Sri Lanka. This long banana is a local favorite and is easily distinguished by its slender, curved shape. When ripe, its skin turns to lemon-yellow.
Anamalu has relatively thick skin and its white flesh is soft. It gives a unique sour-sweet on the tongue. This banana variety is well-loved for its ability to generate a quick burst of energy. It is also popular for its medicinal qualities and useful for digestive problems.
2. Ambon
The Ambon is a dessert variety of excellent quality belonging to the Cavendish group. It is rather large in size than other varieties. It is also curved, but slightly less curved than the anamalu. Its skin is relatively thick and light green when unripe. It turns deep-yellow at full ripeness. Its flesh is light yellowish in color.
It is also called “Elephant” banana due to its size. It is a very large and long banana. These bananas break off from the bunch easily when they are ready to eat. Sometimes the skin remains greenish despite being fully ripe.
3. Nethrapalam
Without a doubt, Nethrapalam is the king of all bananas. It wins for its tremendous height. Each Nethrapalam banana could be up to 12 inches long. It’s not uncommon to find Nethrapalam weighing between 1 to 2 kg. It is easy to recognize because the bunches of bananas grow in the opposite direction. As you can see in the below picture, they are quite different than normal bananas.
This is the rarest variety of bananas in Sri Lanka. Since it isn’t cultivated on a large scale, this banana is not commonly available yet. Thus, it is rather expensive than other varieties. Certainly, one Nethrapalam banana is too big and hard to consume on your own in one sitting. You’ll find it is one of the most delightful banana varieties in Sri Lanka.
Since Nethra Palam are the most exclusive and pricey banana variety in Sri Lanka, they are sold individually. It takes a pretty long time to ripen than other varieties. When fully ripe, they easily detach from the stem. The flesh is almost orange and tastes so delightfully sweet. If you see them in a fruit market, remember to taste this extraordinary banana species.
4. Kolikuttu
These are also highly prized dessert banana varieties in Sri Lanka. They have thinner skin, which splits during the ripening, and their creamy-white flesh gives out an appetizing aroma. Kolikuttu is simply one of those great varieties of bananas you’ll love in Sri Lanka.
Kolikuttus is the choice for offerings and religious festivals. And also, uses as gifts when visiting relatives during Sinhala & Tamil New Year festival. Ripe Kolikuttu bananas drop readily from their bunch, making it difficult to transport them. Therefore, you’ll find them mostly sold in unripe form.
The taste of the Kollikutu banana is unique that gives a delicately melting, sweet taste. When fully ripe, the skin slightly cracks open. This is a sign of delicacy and usually it does not affect the quality of the fruit. Darker discoloration on the skin also shows better taste.
5. Suwandel
This is almost the same as Kolikuttu, but much smaller in size. Suwandel means “fragrance” in Sinhalese. As the name suggests, it gives a nice aroma when fully ripened. They are almost apple scented, and their skin is mustard-yellow in color, when ripe.
Suwandel is a very special banana because of its rarity and aroma. By outer appearance, it looks like Ambul Banana, but the taste is similar to the Kolikuttu banana. The skin of Suwandel is thinner than other varieties.
6. Puwalu
The Puwalu banana is a slightly less common dessert variety, which takes a curved shape. Their skin is yellow-tinged brown in color, when ripe. Its flesh is yellow. When fully ripe, it is extremely sweet, aromatic, and tastes great. Just like Kolikuttu banana, the bananas break off the stem as soon as they are ready to eat.
7. Red Banana
Of course, Red Banana or Rathkehel is a very special variety because of its striking color. It is the most attractive banana in the country, famous for its red-pigmented skin. This marvelous variety of bananas shows a great transformation of color. When unripe, its skin is apple-green, and then turns yellowish and then maroon-red. It develops brown-black markings when fully ripened.
Although the skin is deep-red, the pigment isn’t available in its flesh. It has light-yellowish flesh and there are minute seeds. When fully ripe, it has a completely different flavor that delicately melts in your mouth. It is certainly softer and sweeter than other banana varieties. The creamy, delicate and aromatic Red Banana is a must-try super fruit in Sri Lanka.
Red banana is an interesting variety with many health benefits. It has higher nutritional values and vitamins than its yellow cousins. It is considered to have aphrodisiac properties and famous as natural Viagra. Therefore, this superfruit with many miraculous properties is quite famous among Sri Lankans.
Since they are not very common, you should try Red bananas as you see them in a fruit market. You’ll find they are significantly more expensive than the rest. It isn’t available in coastal areas, while it is mainly cultivated in the hill country. If you are traveling from Colombo to Kandy or Nuwara Eliya, you’ll find many fruit stalls selling red bananas.
8. Bim Kesel
Bim Kesel or dwarf banana is known as Sri Lankan Cavendish. It gets this name due to its short stalk of 4 – 5 feet. Since the tree is of dwarf size, its fruit bunch almost touches the ground. The cultivation of Bim Kesel is quite popular in Sri Lanka and it is widely available throughout the country.
The Cavendish banana trees produce large banana fruits of high quality. These Cavendish bananas are exported to western countries. The skin starts out green and turns yellow when the banana is ripe, and the inner flesh is white. This yummy superfruit is good for tea time, which gives a nutrient-rich energy boost.
9. Ambul Banana
Ever-popular Ambul bananas are widely available throughout the country. They are petite and slender, sharp-ended, and easy to spot in a crowd. It is famous for being slightly sour, but sweet at the same time. It has a unique lemony sweetness while giving a refreshing and lively feeling.
Their skin is relatively thin, covering pale yellow soft delicious flesh. According to Sri Lankan tradition, the Ambul banana is considered to have a cooling effect on the body. Therefore, it isn’t recommended to eat when you have a cold or cough.
10. Seeni Bananas
Seeni banana or Sugar bananas are widely available throughout Sri Lanka. It is similar to the Ambul banana, but smaller in size. However, they are rounder in shape and taste distinctly sweeter. The flesh of a seeni banana is a little bit sticky and rubbery.
Its skin is thin, apple-green in color, and turns to deep yellow when ripe. These bananas consider a nutrient-rich variety. According to Sri Lankan tradition, it is recommended for the sick, the elderly, and even the babies.
In addition to these delightful dessert banana varieties, Sri Lanka is home to a number of cooking banana varieties. One of them is Ash Plantain or Alu Kesel used to make a delicious vegan curry. Dessert bananas use to make some yummy snacks and puddings. Either way, they are so delicious. Since banana gives a serious punch and energy, it is a great addition to your tea time. When you visit Sri Lanka, you should definitely try this superfruit in Sri Lanka.
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Banner image from rawfood.lk. Other images from rawfood.lk, golgitec.com, Lakpura.lk, Dreamstime and Twitter. All copyrights reserved by original authors.
