Opening bananas
By The_Col_G
@The_Col_G (55)
Australia
February 20, 2008 7:01am CST
Do you open bananas from the sharp end (narrow end, stem end, call it what you will) or from the blunt end (rounded end, thick end, whatever)?
If you open it from the blunt end, where are you from?
I ask because the only people I've ever seen opening a banana from the blunt end came originally from eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine, former Yugoslavia, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus, etc.). Is there any reason you know of which could explain this practice? Do they do it this way anywhere else in the world?
I know there's no "right" and "wrong" way to open a banana - but there is an "easy" way - it snaps open quickly and easily when you bend it at the sharp end. The same can't be said for the blunt end, so it mystifies me why anyone would do it the hard way.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@madlees (1377)
• India
20 Feb 08
We peel it from the blunt end and it is easier to get a clean fruit to eat as well as slice. If the fruit is very ripe then you can get it easily from the stem, but if it is three fourths ripe or just ripening then try and peel from the blunt end. You get it easily. Try and see for yourself.
1 person likes this
@The_Col_G (55)
• Australia
24 Feb 08
India too? I'm surprised.
As I said above, I'll give it a try if I ever remember to. Thanks for your answer.
@brimia (6581)
• United States
20 Feb 08
I always peel bananas from the stem end and I'm from the US. My dad, though, peels it from the blunt end and he's from Italy. I've read, here on mylot, that if you peel it from the blunt end you don't get all the stringy pieces but I'm so used to peeling it from the other end and always forget.
@The_Col_G (55)
• Australia
24 Feb 08
Thanks for that. I'll give it a try, if I ever remember to. LOL
Then I'll probably just go straight back to doing it the normal way.
@The_Col_G (55)
• Australia
29 Feb 08
I tried it today from the blunt end, and I have to tell you, I still got all the stringy pieces.
So much for "String Theory"! LOL
It's back to doing it the "normal" way from now on.
@The_Col_G (55)
• Australia
3 Mar 08
Maybe I can start peeling it in the middle, instead of at either end, just to be different from everyone else. LOL.
@manya_pearl (1901)
• Singapore
1 Mar 08
I open banana from the part that attach to its stem, the open portion if you get the banana from its stem, or whatever they called it. Ohw, i just knew that people from a particular region has different style to open the banana skin. Its interesting...
For me, there is no wrong way to open banana, since you;re eating the edible portion and not THE BANANA SKIN!!! lol ;)
1 person likes this
@The_Col_G (55)
• Australia
3 Mar 08
LOL. Good point! I've never felt the inclination to eat the skin either.:o)
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
1 Mar 08
I am from southern california in the USA and I always peel from the sharp end for no reason other than it seems easier. why is there a right or wrong way? this seems like a silly sort of discussion but okay I peel from the sharp end or narrow end. I eat bananas for the potassium so I do not suffer with foot and leg cramps early in the morning. I wonder why people from different counries do it differently seems like thatwould vary with each person.
1 person likes this
@The_Col_G (55)
• Australia
3 Mar 08
Thanks Hatley. There's certainly no doubting the nutritious content of bananas. Ok, so it was a fairly silly question, but it has intrigued me for a few years now, ever since I first saw a colleague open a banana from the blunt end. It had never occurred to me that it was even possible, let alone that someone would choose to do it that way. Then, I saw a few others do it, and all of them were from Eastern Europe. I was hoping someone on here could throw some light on why it is so.
