There’s Banana Bread day on February 23rd, Banana Lovers Day in August, but today is regular ol’ Banana Day! Here are some Who Knew facts from the website companion to the kids’ book The Banana Police…Did you know that:
- the most common type of banana is called Cavendish
- bananas are technically berries – they grow from bulbs, not seeds
- they’re in the same family as lilies, orchids and palms
- more than 100 billion bananas are eaten every year around the world, which makes them #4 among the top agricultural products, along with #1-2-3, wheat, rice and corn
- Uganda has the highest per capita consumption of bananas in the world? (average resident eats 500 pounds of bananas per year; Americans eat an average of 27 pounds per person per year)
- India produces more bananas than any other country; 28% of the worldwide crop; China is #2, the Philippines #3 and Brazil #4
- the banana’s scientific Latin name is musa sapientum, which means “fruit of the wise men”
- there is a Banana Club Museum in Mecca, California
Also, did you know the Cavendish banana could be endangered? Read more from the UK newspaper The Guardian here.
Our Word of the Day is, appropriately, sapient, an adjective: having or showing great wisdom or sound judgment.
Thanks for listening!
-Joe