The first bananas may have been cultivated at least 7,000 years ago, and possibly as early as 10,000 years ago in what is now Papua New Guinea. They were also grown in Southeast Asia. Modern bananas came from two wild varieties, Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, which had large and hard seeds that represented 25% of the fruit.

The hybrid produced the modern banana, with its handy, graspable shape and peelable covering. Compared to its ancestor, the fruit has much smaller seeds, tastes better, and is packed with nutrients.