As difficult as it might be to realize that not everyone has eaten a banana, it is full of potassium and is extremely healthy. Perhaps after reading this article, everyone will at least try a banana, and enjoy it, because now you will know how to eat one.

[edit] Steps

This is for all banana lovers!

Look for a banana that is yellow in color and lightly speckled with small brown or black speckles. Large brown spots indicate an over-ripe banana with a mushy consistency. Green bananas usually need more time to ripen, or use a method to ripen the banana.
Peel the banana. Some people prefer to peel the entire thing and then eat it, while others peel as they go.
- You can peel from the stalk, as you have something to hold on to.
- You can also peel from the non-stalky end in the same way that monkeys peel them - this usually leads to fewer "banana strings" and you can use the stalk as a handle.
- If you feel adventurous, you can attempt to quickly snap the banana in two convenient halves while starting the peel. This gives the bonus of halving the banana for a future snack. Simply flip the banana concave side toward you, hold on both ends with thumbs toward each other and snap the banana open.
Remove the "banana strings" as you go. (The fibrous bits that run the length of the banana between the edible part and the peel.)
Throw the skin away.
- If you are in a closed environment (such as in a car on a trip, or in a hotel room) either seal the peel in a bag or find another garbage can away from your area. Banana peels can fill a room with their scent in no time.
- Banana peels make very good compost. You may want to save your leftover banana peels if you collect compost for your garden.
- Alternatively, banana peels can be used in many recipes. Banana peels are a main ingredient in many east-Indian desserts and main courses.

[edit] Alternate Methods

Try any of these ways to eat a banana:
- Make recipes like banana cake, banana milkshake, banana pudding, a banana split, banana bread, or chocolate banana bread!
- Fry sliced bananas in butter, splash on some rum, and when the rum is hot, set fire to the fumes to impress your guests. Add a little orange juice and cook till hot again, sprinkle with dark brown sugar and serve with cream or ice cream. This dessert is so nice it is illegal in some countries.
- Mash a ripe banana and mix it with natural yogurt to make a delicious breakfast or dessert.
- Freeze a banana to eat as a nutritious Popsicle-like frozen treat. You can also coat in melted chocolate or insert a stick before freezing to make it easier to hold.

[edit] Tips

Some people think that you can open a banana only from the top (the part that is longer.) The best way is to pinch the bottom nub of the banana and the peel at the top will begin to split. This way, no excessive mashing will occur. Enjoy your non-squished banana!
To tear a banana in half, pierce the skin half-way along its length with a fingernail. Do it just enough to snap the fibers, so you'll be making a cut about half an inch long. Gently bend the banana away from the cut and the whole fruit should tear in half with no mess or bruising at all.
If the banana you want to eat is too green, put it in a brown paper bag for 24 hours and the next day it will be yellow! Alternatively, you may leave the banana at the ready on your counter, where it will ripen nicely on its own.
Ripening bananas emit an enzyme that causes other fruit to ripen more quickly! This is why some people store them away from the fruit bowl and even hang them up on little wooden stands.

[edit] Warnings

Bananas go bad if kept out too long. However, if the smooth whiteness is spoiled by a little bad spot, you don't need to throw the banana away -- just carve that nasty bit out with a knife.
Keeping bananas with apples may imbue the banana skin bad color (brown instead of yellow).
If you store your bananas in refrigerator, this will cause them to turn brown/black. However, this is only a cosmetic change. The interior regions of your crescent-shaped produce will stay nice and banana-fresh. (P.S. sometimes this can be inedible)
As the cartoon cliche suggests, decomposing banana peels can actually be EXTREMELY slippery on any surface. Do not thrown them on the ground - the next unsuspecting passerby could get injured!