Everything You Need to Know About Hua Moa Banana, the Rare Fruit That Went Viral!

You've probably seen these fat bananas around on social media: they are huge and often "victims" of unfortunate double meanings. They are called Hua Moa bananas and in addition to their appearance, they are also unique in taste: we could call them the best bananas in the world. The fruit has a very sweet flavor, reminiscent of vanilla, and a creamy pulp. They are native to the Pacific Islands, particularly the Cook Islands archipelago. Hua Moa are known for their resistance to disease and for their ability to adapt to hot and humid climates. They have traditionally been used in Pacific Island cuisines to prepare desserts, smoothies and typical dishes. Their popularity is also growing outside of tropical regions, thanks to their distinctive flavor and versatility in the kitchen, but they remain a very rare fruit.

The Huge Bananas That Have Conquered The Web

Famous for their curious appearance, Hua Moa bananas have gained increasing popularity in recent years thanks to viral photos on social media. Although they originated in Oceania, their "emigration" to the United States helped their spread: they became a staple in the kitchens of the Miami area until agricultural production decreased due to disease and adverse weather conditions. Today they are still grown in Florida and Hawaii but production remains on the verge of extinction. They arrived in America in 1960 and for the next thirty years they thrived thanks to the favorable climate. From 1990 onwards they were attacked by new parasites and a series of hurricanes that made this fruit very rare, as when it was imported from Polynesia.

The United States is trying to save this fruit because it is really delicious. It is found between June and December, with this unique characteristic of bananas similar to elongated melons. The Hua Moa banana is in fact 25 centimeters long, 10 centimeters thick and can weigh up to half a kilo. Unlike common bananas, however, the Hua Moa banana must be cooked before being eaten or left to ripen completely because the flavor "raw" is not the best. Cooked or ripened, however, it is incredible: creamy like ice cream, with a sweet vanilla flavor.

Unfortunately, however, the variety is also in danger in its area of ​​origin, in Hawaii and Polynesia, and is rarely present on the markets even in these regions.