Fruit for Thought

Whilst sitting in the walk-in clinic of our local Price Chopper grocery store with two sick kids, I watched people check out with their groceries. I noticed something fascinating. Of the twelve people I saw, ten bought bananas. Yes, I mean the elongated crescent-shaped yellow fruit with soft sweet flesh*. And, yes, I did keep count. Personally I can't eat bananas. Let me explain. I like the taste, and fruit salad just isn't complete without the sliced bananas. But, give me a banana to peel and eat and I will be gagging half way through it. I don't know why this happens, but it does. Anyway, I digress. I starting thinking about bananas. I went home and did some research. This is a little of what I have so far discovered. Bananas are the most popular fruit. They are the fourth largest food crop that is grown, surpassed only by rice, wheat and maize. Bananas are originally from Malaysia and they were mentioned in Buddhist writings in the 6th century B.C.E. Alexander the Great first tasted bananas when he was conquering India, and brought them back to the western world. Bananas were brought to the US in 1876 in Pennsylvania. The banana plant is not a tree but the largest form of herb. There is a banana diet, a banana republic and there have been banana wars. Who knew? *wikipedia