Food Almanac: Banana Varieties

Go bananas with just how many varieties of our favorite panghimagas are available in the Philippines! How many of these did you know about?

Lakatan

• Also known as Mapang
• Most common found in Manila
• Grown all over the country
• Has a bright, saturated yellow hue
• Perfect-thickness peel
• Distinct yellow-orange flesh
• High levels of Vitamin A
• Balanced taste of sweet, tangy, and custard-y
• Has a moist texture with a substantial bite
• When frozen and blended for ice cream or smoothies, has a dense texture

Latundan

• Also known as Tundan (Cebu), Turdan (Tagalog), Cantong (Misamis Oriental)
• Also common in Manila
• Most common among dessert varieties around Philippines
• Said to have been introduced from India by French clergyman, “Letondal”
• Fatter shape compared to Lakatan
• Pointier shape towards the end
• Paler in hue
• Thinner peel
• Pale, almost white flesh
• Tangier and more tropical in flavor
• Fluffier, less dense textures
• Slippery and creamy as you chew
• Filipino elders recommend this kind to be fed to babies because of its soft texture

Saba

• Also known as Cardaba, Dippig (Ilocos)
• Short, stubby, fat, and thick
• Cooking-type
• Has a thick peel
• Eaten and cooked similar to plantain
• Said to be the “most important cultivar”
• Wide variety of uses in Philippine cuisine
• Firmer texture
• Is generally less sweet compared to other dessert bananas
• Subjecting it to heat gives a satisfying starchy chew
• Depending on ripeness pre-cooking, can be sweet and tangy towards the center
• Can be eaten raw, somewhat sour
• Sweet, tangy, aromatic flavor and a moist, sticky interior while retaining the meaty, leathery, chewiness on the outside when very ripe
• Has a variety called “Super Giant Saba”
  • Has a strong jack-fruit like aroma
  • Very sweet, tangy, extremely creamy, and buttery
  • The flesh has a pink hue
  • Speculated to be the “Datu” variety from Quezon

Señorita

• Also known as Cariñosa, Cuarenta Dias, Arnibal (Negros Occidental), Monkoy (Negros Oriental), Surat-sut (Bicol), Lungsuranon (Surigao)
• Smaller in scale compared to others, measuring in at 3 inches long and 1.3 inches thick on average
• Can be occasionally found in the Metro
• Similar characteristics to Lakatan
• Thin peel
• Yellow-orange peel and flesh
• Flesh has a firm but creamy and more buttery texture
• Has sweet and aromatic flavor, less tangy and more custard-y with a hint of “grassy”

Cavendish

• Most widely-grown and traded banana in the world
• Similar overall shape as lakatan but bigger with a less saturated yellow hue
• Develops freckle-like spots as it ripens
• “Cleanest” and “flawless” looking at its proper ripening making it popular for export
• Generally blander than other varieties.
• Lighter, fluffier texture, but not as creamy
• Not much bite
• Great for freezing due to its light texture that makes it better for a ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ sensation compared to other varieties

Lagkitan

• Also known as katali, botolan (Palawan)
• Common in southern Tagalog region
• Can be eaten raw or cooked
• Pale yellow similar to Saba
• Shape similar to Latundan, becoming rounded around the stem but pointy at the tip
• Tastes like a cross between Saba and Latundan, firm like saba with the thin peel and sweet& tangy taste of Latundan
• Slippery texture
• Occasionally may have seeds in the centers

Bulkan

• Shares many similarities to Lagkitan
• A sweet, tangy, “bubblegum-y” flavor
• Smooth and waxy-creamy texture
• Occasional presence of seeds
• Slightly more vivid yellow peel color as it ripens
• More rounded shape overall, especially toward the tip

Morado

• Also known as raines na pula, Gloria (Tagalog), Tadiao Tumbaga (Sulu), Tinumbaga (Surigao)
• Its name ‘morado’ means purple in Spanish, from its unique hue that is purplish-red
• Uncommon in the Metro
• More common in areas such as Mindoro and Baguio
• Overall larger in size, takes longer to ripen compared to others
• Thick red peel that turns more orange-yellowish tinge as it ripens
• Pale-yellow flesh with a texture similar to Lakatan or Latundan but firmer
• Rounded, creamy with subdued sweetness with notes of pineapple and “grassy” hints similar to Señorita

Inabaniko

• Also known as binendito, domino (Cebuano), oremos (Cagayan Valley), ripping
• Its clusters resembles a closed human fist with tightly packed fingers
• Flesh is similar to Saba with firm, chewy, “meaty” texture
• Tangy taste with “grassy” quality, sometimes having a vanilla flavor quality

Bungulan

• Also known as buñguran (Bicol), buluñgan (Cebu), balañgon (Negros Occidental and Iloilo)
• Starts green and stays green, even when ripe only getting slightly more yellowish around the tips
• Texture and taste are similar to Lakatan
• Has a great balance of sweetness, tanginess, and creaminess with more melon-like, bubblegum notes
• Said to be great for banana cakes and breads as it can overripen easily without notice

Utungan

• Suspected to be “Pelipia” Cultivar which is common in Mindanao
• Said to get its name from how its tips resemble “utong” or nipples
• Similar in form to Saba
• Its flesh resembles a cross between Saba and Lakatan – firm but not as rubbery as Saba with the creaminess of Lakatan when at the right stage of ripeness
• When eaten raw and rips it has a distinct flavor that is sweet, lush, and tangy with pineapple-like notes

Tindok

• Also known as tondoc (Tagalog)
• Described to be the most popular plantain in the Philippines
• Comes as huge, long pieces with pointy ends that resemble nipples
• Has a dense potato-like consistency with tight fibers and has slight tang and sweetness beneath the vegetal flavors when cooked while still green
• Eaten raw and ripe, has a waxy texture that is more dense than chewy
• Deep orange hue similar to Lakatan when ripe
• Carries only a small bit of its vegetal flavor over when it is ripe, like a cross between Lakatan and Señorita