Eliza's Banana-Blog

How Do You Peel Yours?

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Bananas are unique, in that their skins are so protective, yet easily and conveniently removed without a knife or peeler. But how do you peel yours?
We gorillas tend to bite the banana in the middle of the convex curve (where a knuckle would be on a finger) then tear or break them open.

99.9% of humans peel their bananas from the stem down, and hold them by the stump as they eat them. This seems the most logical and efficient way to peel them, and most people never think of trying any alternate methods.

However, here's the interesting thing: most chimpanzees and monkeys peel their bananas the opposite way round. They pinch the stump (bottom of the banana) and tear it open. Why? It might be because this enables them to eat bananas that are still attached to a bunch or tree, but as they often peel picked bananas the same way, this isn’t conclusive. Some humans who have opted for this method, (aping the chimps), claim that peeling in this direction more efficiently removes the stringy bits, but my experiments haven’t proved this to be the case.

Next time you peel a banana, why not try the “Chimp” method and see if you think it works any better. Be sure to let me know!