TEMPO.CO, Pasuruan - The Purwodadi Botanical Garden (KRP) in Pasuruan, East Java, has been studying the kates banana (Musa acuminata x Musa balbisiana). This unique banana has actually been planted in the garden since 1972, along with hundreds of other banana species. The botanical garden has a collection of 214 types of bananas, 103 cultivated from three types of crossbreeding methods and one genus.

Lia Hapsari, KRP banana researcher, said the kates banana is one of KRP’s proud cultivations. Its unique shape cannot be found in any other region outside of Pasuruan. The kates banana often bears fruit but was never exposed, thus escaping the notice of researchers. As a result, information about this banana is scarce.

Researchers began to observe the kates banana in 2010 for scientific purposes and to discover the potential of the banana as a top fruit in Pasuruan and Indonesia. Up until now, however, Lia can only reveal the morphology of the kates banana.

Lia explained how the kates banana is unique and differs from other bananas in general. Its fruit has a smoother texture and no seeds, growing at a solitary pace forming a round blunt end. It looks similar to a papaya.

The skin of the fruit is thick with a waxy texture, initially light green and becomes yellow as it ripens. The meat of a ripe fruit has a cream or yellow color and tastes sweet without any aroma.

The kates banana is known to still be related to the pitogo banana from the Philippines. The morphology of these two bananas are similar. The difference is that the pitogo banana has become a popular commercial cultivation in the Philippines known by residents throughout Hawaii and the Pacific Islands.

Lia revealed that after this morphology examination, they would continue to analyze the nutritional contents of the banana in order to make it Pasuruan, and Indonesia’s, top banana to be commercially cultivated.

ABDI PURMONO