Origin of Bananas

Bananas are said to be currently the world’s third most popular fruit and evidence shows could be the oldest cultivated crop (Langdon 18). The tropical fruit is believed to have originated and first domesticated in Southeast Asia estimated around 5000 BC (Langdon 18). Due to how difficult reproducing the seedless banana plant is, the distribution did not stray far from Southeast Asia for thousands of years in its existence. Apparently the first Europeans to learn about it were the Greeks under the command of Alexander the Great during their conquest of India in 327 BC (Langdon 18). The Banana then found its way across Europe to Portugal; who played a major role in the distribution of this fruit. In the 14th and 15th century’s, Portugal and Spain were becoming known as the gateway of foreign trade. Portuguese sailors brought the fruit from Western Africa to South America and the Caribbean. The banana plant grows best in warm tropical conditions, making Central and South America a premiere cultivation location. As different species and proper techniques of transport were discovered, the banana plant began to surface on markets in North America in the 19th century (Hays). Bananas began trending and became increasingly popular in the United States following the conclusion of the Civil War. Unfortunately, the banana plant could not flourish as it did Central and South America due to cooler climates of the United States. This made the banana plant exotic and expensive, creating a vast demand and growth of banana production across Central and South America. In order to reproduce the banana plant, its rootstocks must be dug up, divided, and preferably dried for a while before replanting. The banana plant thrives naturally on deep, loose, well-drained soils in humid tropical climates (Encyclopedia Britannica). The only drawback is the fruit’s extreme perishability, creating an enormous risk to anyone transporting the goods. A delay at sea could potentially