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The banana has long been a favorite food for humans of all ages. Thanks to their sweet flavor and soft texture they are often one of the first foods given to children. They come in dirt-proof packaging right from the plant and have a sweet taste unmatched in the rest of nature. But, the way we are taught to open them might not be the best method for cracking into this creamy fruit (they’re actually berries BTW).

green bananas on the plant
Via: Monika Guzikowska/Unsplash

As it turns out the “top” of the banana is actually the bottom. This only matters since the true tops are a little softer and therefore easier to open. If you’ve ever gone to peel a banana but had it break into two instead, this upside down way of doing things may have been to blame.

broken banana
Via: kleinfreund/Flickr

There are those who claim that monkeys in the wild open their bananas the “right” way, but the reality is that they only have bananas thanks to humans and don’t find domesticated bananas out in nature.

Back to the peeling of bananas. The reason we are led to open them wrong way up is that there is a hand grip left on the banana after harvesting that is the stem or the bottom of the banana. The top-most part of the banana is what many people believe is the bottom.

If this sounds weird to you then you should know that a big advantage to opening the banana from the true top is that you have a little handhold on the stem to help you get all the mushy, sweet, fruit from the peel.

Via: Marco Verch/Flickr

For some it might might be too difficult or strange to change course after having peeled bananas stem-side first all these years. However, if you want an easier time opening them, plus the use of a little built-in handle while you enjoy your sweet fruit, try peeling your banana the “right” way next time.

You can see exactly how it’s done in the video below.

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