I hate to say this to the red banana farmers because I don’t want to put them out of business, but I don’t get it. This red banana thing. I’m still not clear on why someone would buy them when they’re more expensive, tougher to ripen, and don’t taste as good as a regular banana. Chiquita was on to something. Yellow bananas are the clear victor in the banana wars. But as we’ve learned in the challenge so far, it’s fun to experiment, and sometimes you’ll find a hidden gem. Like my favorite to-date, the mangosteen.
LAUREN: What are the 5 senses?
ME: I don’t know. What are they?
SAM: Smell.
ME: Smell, right, what else?
LAUREN: Taste, what it looks like.
ME: Yes, sight.
SAM: Touch.
ME: Yes, right, what’s the last one?
ME: (We all forget this one.) What it sounds like right?
ME: Tell me first what does it look like on the outside?
SAM: Brown bananas.
LAUREN: I think it looks like it’s brown. Like it’s old.
LAUREN: And it has curved branches.
ME: What does it look like on the inside? (Opening) These things took forever to ripen, oh my God. (No joke, I’d tried to open one of the bananas a month before and it was so unripe it was inedible. Here we were a month later, basically having the same problem, still verging on unripe. How is this possible? My yellow bananas develop more freckles and spots than an 80-year old in two days flat.)
ME: Ok, finally open, what does it look like on the inside?
LAUREN: The sun color.
ME: What does it taste like?
SAM: Strawberry banana.
ME: What do you think Lauren?
LAUREN: Not that good.
ME: Why does it taste not that good?
LAUREN: Too sweet.
ME: Emma, you try your red banana, what do you think?
EMMA: I don’t wike it. (Big surprise)
ME: Let me taste it. Hmmm. Interesting. I don’t mind the red banana. It’s pretty good. Kind of has a subtle taste of squash to it. Weird, but I guess it’s OK.
LAUREN: Can we have a different mystery food?
ME: Sort of agree with you there sweetheart. It’s not horrible, but I definitely don’t want to eat this again.
