The black bit at the end of a banana is not as gross as you might think

When you chow down on a banana, you might often see a black bit at the end and it looks a bit gross.

But what is it? Some people think it is the seed, but these are found down the middle, if at all, as the Cavendish variety of bananas, which is commonly sold typically doesn’t produce any seeds.

It is actually something completely different. Bananas are technically berries and the black bit is the nub of the flower from which the giant banana berry grew.

Bananas grow on trees in bunches, and the end is actually the top of the fruit while the hard stalk is the bottom. But given most people eat bananas by snapping off the stalk first, the residual flower nub is left at the end.

This black bit is entirely edible but people often throw it away because it has a tough texture and a bitter taste.

So now you know, there is nothing stopping you from getting one of your five a day.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.