Red Bananas Are Real—Here's Where To Find Them - Taste Of Home

If you thought that the only type of bananas out there were the ones piled up at your grocery store, think again. There are actually more than 1,000 types of bananas consumed around the world, ranging in size, flavor and color! That’s right, the unmistakable yellow fruit used in your favorite banana bread recipes also comes in shades of red, blue, purple, pink and brown.

Because of the popularity of the yellow banana in the United States, the sight of a red banana might raise some eyebrows, as well as some questions about shelf life. Though not normally a fruit we see often, red bananas are popular in other parts of the world, and actually have a long list of health benefits.

Plus, they taste like raspberries!

What Is a Red Banana?

This elusive fruit is only a variant of the yellow bananas sitting in your kitchen right now. Outside of the difference in peel color, slightly sweeter taste and smaller size, red bananas really are not that different from the yellow ones we see everywhere.

Most people grab a banana when they want a snack that’s high in potassium, but the red variant also provides many other essential nutrients. It’s still potassium-rich, but also high in vitamins C and B6. And if you’re wondering where the reddish tones come from, red bananas contain carotenoids—pigments that give plants their color, which are also great for eye health.

Learn more about banana benefits for healthy hair and skin.

Where to Buy Red Bananas

You probably won’t be able to buy a bunch of red bananas from your local grocer—the fruit subgroup originated and is mostly grown in Southeast Asia. Thankfully, Etsy is able to give us some options. You can grab a whole box of red bananas on Etsy! Then, eat the fruit raw or cook bananas like you normally would. You can also buy a red banana tree, but note that this beautiful plant only produces ornamental fruit, nothing you can eat.