No food incites more controversy in the Bon Appétit offices than the banana. Our editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport is a notorious banana-hater, but he's not the only one who feels strongly about this portable, potassium-filled fruit. Here, our staff's incredibly varied but never tepid musings on the humble banana. It feels good to get that out of our system—just don't get us started on kiwi.
Rapoport despises bananas so much, he actually cut this very interview short. "It's the tuna fish sandwich of the fruit world," he said, before citing nausea for the abrupt stop. "I can still remember the smell of a mushy, hot banana that's been sitting in a public school locker for three hours. Ever since, I've been traumatized by them."
That said, he does admit a certain affection for the act of slicing coins of a banana over a bowl of cereal with a small paring or whittling knife—and he can "appreciate" a good banana bread. But beyond that, he avoids this "smelly" fruit and claims that there's "no such thing as a perfect banana."
Restaurant and drinks editor Andrew Knowlton hates bananas "because they're gross," and asserts that no one "over the age of 3 has any business eating a banana." He continues, "Beyond their cloying taste, they have a disgusting texture. One of the worst textures of all time!" He prefers the "exaggerated, fake" banana flavor of candy like Laffy Taffy, but hates how "people rip them apart in the grocery store." His final words on the matter: "Until the day I live in Hawaii and can pick them off the tree, I will continue to hate bananas and all that they stand for."
Senior web editor Carey Polis is a fan of bananas, but only under very specific circumstances. "They cannot have any brown spots," she says. When they inevitably brown, she stores them in the freezer for banana bread or puréed banana "ice cream." She prefers her bananas to have a "tinge of green," otherwise they're "too sweet and mushy." When she does eat (perfectly yellow-green) bananas, any brown or soft spots on the interior are removed and discarded.
"Bananas should be used only for baking things in their leaves, eating their blossoms in salads and okay, maybe in banana bread which for some reason doesn’t seem as odious as bananas themselves. Plain bananas should never be eaten by anyone over 12 unless they are running an ultra marathon. They are preferable to energy pastes only because of their (alleged) potassium.” —Scott Desimon, deputy editor
Dawn Perry, digital food editor, is a fan of bananas. "Carefully placed on top of your bag, they are perfectly portable. Plus, they're great for stress, according to my mother who has no medical training whatsoever." Perry appreciates the banana for its cramp-fighting ability (thanks, potassium), and enjoys them mashed into oatmeal, sliced on top of cold cereal, and served with peanut butter and a drizzle of honey.
"Despite making and loving these Pretzel and Banana Truffles last month, I maintain that I despise banana desserts. Whatever, truffles don't count. But my real abhorrence of the fruit comes from the nightmare-inducing pair, Bananas in Pajamas." —Rochelle Bilow, associate web editor
"It’s a banana. Just eat it. Potassium is a good thing. Banana in a baked good is awesome (check out this banana bread, duh). Frozen chocolate covered banana, I mean come on, who doesn’t actually like that! Just never artificial banana flavoring—there may actually be nothing worse in the whole of the world than artificial banana flavoring except maybe artificial straw-banana flavoring, which should be outlawed and is probably the reason all these freaks I work with don’t like bananas." —Stacey Rivera, digital director
"I don't have strong feelings about bananas, but I do have strong feelings about bananas and peanut butter. Claire [Saffitz, associate food editor] and I share a deep appreciation for this winning combo and it is our go-to for breakfast and/or snacks. Sorry to blow your cover Claire, but in her Test Kitchen fridge you can always find a full jar of crunchy Smuckers peanut butter and we have an understanding that when the craving strikes (which is daily), I have access to all the bananas/peanut butter a girl could ever want. Thanks, Claire!" —Lilli Sherman, special projects
I used to love them as a baby, then hated them for most of my life. I’m almost 30 and I’m finally coming around (again), but pretty much only eaten with a spoonful of Big Spoon Roasters peanut or almond butter in the morning. With a glass of milk. It’s a thing." —Alison Roman, senior food editor
"I hate banana bread. The only good thing about bananas is that if you know the trick, you can break them into three pieces the long way, which amazes little kids." —Chris Penberthy, research director
"Banana breakdown: Artificially-flavored: hell on earth. Plain: exceptionally average. With peanut butter: heavenly." —Alex Delany, production assistant
"I love bananas. But only during a 1-2 day window when they are starting to speckle, are soft, and very sweet. Underripe bananas can be very starchy and almost metallic-tasting. I keep a quart of overripe mashed bananas in the freezer for banana bread emergencies. I think they are a great between-meal snack, especially after the gym. A great source of potassium, Vitamin B6, and post-workout carbs." —Rick Martinez, test kitchen cook
"I like them when they're still green. Also, I won't eat bananas in the office. On my first week of work, I heard Adam hates bananas. I had one in my bag but decided to not eat it because you can't be upsetting the boss! In our new office, I sit even closer to him so I definitely won't eat one now!" —Elizabeth Jaime, photo assistant
"Frozen and blended into smoothies—best way to go!" —Shelley Wolson, copy editor
"I eat a banana with crunchy peanut butter for office breakfast al desko probably twice a week. It’s nutritious, it’s filling, and it adds up to about 250 calories, which is just right for breakfast if you’re a person who will continue to eat heavily all day for “work.” Bananas are portable, rich in potassium, make pretty much any smoothie better, can be transformed into BA’s Best Banana Bread before they die, and are the first food I fed to both of my children, who have gone on to become amazing, brilliant individuals. In conclusion, j'approve. Just don’t put them in my fruit salad." —Carla Music, food director
"Plaintain > banana. Always." —Faye Chiu, associate managing editor
"I'd say twice a year I hit a banana home-run. They do have to be perfectly ripe or just forget it." —Brad Leone, test kitchen manager