Did you know that H-E-B sells more bananas than any-thing else in the store?

Bananas are portable, delicious, and chock-full of important vitamins and minerals. In fact, they’re one of the most affordable sources of nutrition.

Beyond the familiar yellow Cavendish banana, you’ll discover cute “baby” bananas, manzano, or apple bananas (manzano comes from the Spanish word meaning “apple tree”), and strawberry bananas. There are also plaintains—green bananas that are a starchy mainstay throughout Mexico and Central and South America. Every once in a while, you’ll also see burro, or pear bananas. 

Something else you might not know is that bananas don’t grow on trees—they’re actually the fruit of the world’s largest herb! They also have big health benefits. One large banana has more than 600 milligrams of potassium, 4 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

As for ripeness, every variety turns from starch to sugar at a different rate. Cavendish bananas are ready when they’re yellow (though some prefer a greener banana’s starchiness), while baby bananas are best without a green stem, as are manzanos and burros. Strawberry bananas are red, with a subtle berry flavor and a deep yellow-orange flesh; no greenness in the stem means they’re ripe. You’ll see both green and yellow in the plaintain variety—but don’t eat them fresh! They are used in many South American dishes and are tasty when fried for desserts. It’s the cooking process itself that turns the starch to sugar.

Bananas are one fruit that’s perfectly fine sitting out on the counter—just don’t toss them when they turn black, since they’re sweetest then and perfect for smoothies or banana bread. Freeze them and use them anytime in your favorite muffin recipe!