This 'Ice Cream' Banana Variety Has A Years-Long Waitlist Just To Buy

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We like bananas as much as the next person, especially in a banana split, which has its origin in Pennsylvania, by the way. Even if you are the biggest banana-head in the world, however, would you be willing to pay $47 and wait up to three years for the chance to buy a special 'nanner? The Blue Java banana, also known as an "ice cream banana," is not your average fruit to use in a humble three-ingredient banana bread recipe. When it's not ripe, the peel of this banana is a delicate greenish-blue that turns mellow yellow when it's ready to eat. Inside, the flesh of the banana is as creamy as ice cream, with notes of vanilla and a slight tart edge. It's a popular misconception that these bananas are bright blue and taste like ice cream, but they are no less special despite the hyperbole. Ice cream bananas have gone ... well, bananas on social media, inspiring a mania that has contributed to the long waitlists full of those wishing to lay hands on even one.

Blue Java bananas are just one of over 1,000 cultivars of banana that exist in the world, despite the fact that you are most likely to find a single variety, Cavendish bananas, at the grocery store, where the stems may be wrapped in plastic to prevent premature browning. As implied by the name, Blue Java bananas are native to Indonesia. They grow well in warm climates without frost, meaning that there are a few places in the United States where they can be propagated.

While you might be stuck in waiting purgatory for the chance to buy an actual Blue Java fruit, if you live in a very warm climate, you might be inspired to grow your own Blue Java tree for noms and profit. But you'll need patience, as these trees need at least nine months, although possibly as many as 15, to grow; temperatures during this time must consistently stay above 57 degrees Fahrenheit. At that point, a healthy plant will flower and start producing bananas, which ripen in two or three months as long as the weather is warm. That's a much shorter waiting period overall than buying one from an online source, though with considerably more effort. Blue Java banana trees will stand 10 — 15 feet high when fully grown, and each tree will produce bunches of bananas and has the potential to grow new "pups," or young trees. Given the right atmospheric conditions, a bit of time, and plenty of room, you could have a thriving, profitable banana empire!

For most people, however, that dream is far from reach, so your best bet is to simply join a waiting list to purchase a Blue Java banana. What will you do with the fruit when you get it? Such a special banana shouldn't be buried among other flavors, we think, meaning the ideal preparation ought to put the banana front and center. One of those banana splits we mentioned earlier might be delicious — don't forget the gourmet Italian maraschino cherries, since luxury bananas deserve luxury toppings — or maybe a very special smoothie will do.