Wonder of the Day #2097
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— Food
Have You Ever Wondered...
- What is the world's most popular fruit?
- Which country imports the most bananas?
- What is ethylene gas?
Tags:
See All Tags
- Food,
- Science,
- Fruit,
- Banana,
- India,
- China,
- Brazil,
- Indonesia,
- Ecuador,
- United States,
- Export,
- Import,
- Tropical,
- Subtropical,
- Berry,
- Plant,
- Bush,
- Arabic,
- Banan,
- Finger,
- Bunch,
- Ripe,
- Ripen,
- Market,
- Farm,
- Green,
- Yellow,
- Refrigerated,
- Container,
- Shipping,
- Transportation,
- Ripening,
- Facility,
- Ethylene,
- Gas,
- Humidity,
- Temperature,
- Chemical
Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Ryan. Ryan Wonders, “How do fruits ripen after they have been picked?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Ryan!
Have you ever had an adult tell you that money doesn't grow on trees? This statement often accompanies a denial of a request for a new toy or video game. Unfortunately, it's true. Money doesn't grow on trees.
Wouldn't it be cool if it did, though? We'd all be waiting for autumn to come with great anticipation each year. Instead of leaves falling, dollar bills would float to the ground. We bet you wouldn't complain then if your parents asked you to rake in the dough!
Even though money doesn't grow on trees, there's something almost as good that does: fruit! Delicious oranges and apples taste great and are healthy, too. Do you have a favorite fruit?
Some people prefer strawberries or grapes, while others like oranges, cherries, watermelons, or pineapples. When it comes to the world as a whole, though, there's one fruit that stands above all the rest — and it doesn't even grow on a tree! Which fruit is at the top? The banana, of course!
Over 100 billion bananas are consumed worldwide each year. India, China, Brazil, and Indonesia account for half of that consumption.
Bananas make up approximately 75% of the annual tropical fruit trade. In fact, they're the world's most exported fruit. The world's top banana exporter is Ecuador, while the United States imports the most bananas.
Bananas grow in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. Classified botanically as a berry, bananas grow on large plants that look like big bushes. The name "banana" comes from the Arabic word "banan," which means finger.
A group of bananas is known as a bunch. It takes about nine months to grow a complete bunch, which can include as many as 170 bananas.
Fortunately for banana lovers everywhere, bananas grow year-round and are bountiful. Today, about 150 countries grow nearly 1,000 different varieties of bananas.
If you eat bananas at home very often, you know that they have to be eaten quickly once they ripen. Their tendency to ripen quickly and turn brown makes getting them to markets around the world a bit tricky.
Most bananas are grown on large farms, where they're harvested while they're still green. To keep them from ripening during shipping, they're transported in refrigerated containers.
Upon arriving in a destination country, bananas are trucked to special ripening facilities. These facilities make use of advanced technology to control bananas' exposure to air, humidity, temperature, and ethylene gas, which is a natural ripening chemical.
To start the ripening process, ethylene gas is pumped into storage rooms full of bananas and left to circulate overnight. This gas triggers the ripening process, which is then slowed by removing the ethylene gas and lowering the temperature.
As soon as bananas begin to show a hint of yellow, they're ready to ship to local stores for consumption. They will continue to ripen during transit and storage. Depending upon how far your local store is from shipping facilities, the ripeness of your bananas can vary greatly from one location to another.
Wonder What's Next?
Tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day features some furry bandits that are as clever as they are cute!
Try It Out
Are you ready to try some bananas? Ask a friend or family member to help you explore the following activities:
- Ask an adult friend or family member to take you on a field trip to a local grocery store. Head straight to the fresh fruit aisle and check out the selection of bananas. Can you find more than one type of banana? What colors are the bananas? Can you find examples of bananas in different stages of ripening? Talk with someone who works at the store. Do they have unripe bananas in the back waiting to be put out for sale? If possible, buy some bananas to take home to eat!
- Bananas are delicious to eat as a fresh, healthy snack. They can also add delicious flavor to a variety of recipes. If you like bananas, try making the following tasty treats: + Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Sandwiches + Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Dogs + Chocolate Banana Pops
- How would you describe a banana? Put your skills of description to the test when you write an in-depth, lengthy description of a banana. One caveat: you cannot use the word "banana." If it helps, pretend that you must have a banana to survive. You can send one person to the store to get one for you, but this person does not speak the local language and cannot communicate with anyone at the store. This person must be able to use your description to find a banana — and only a banana! — at the store. Have fun! Share your description with a friend or family member. Can they identify what you've described?
Did you get it?
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Wonder Contributors
We’d like to thank:
O from CA and Sydney from CA
for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!
Keep WONDERing with us!
What are you wondering?
Wonder Words
- rake
- float
- prefer
- denial
- dough
- annual
- request
- tropical
- humidity
- varieties
- delicious
- complain
- worldwide
- statement
- anticipation
- unfortunately
- consumption
- accompanies
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