I've been growing Kru the past couple years without much luck and no bunch yet. These came from about 5 miles down the road so they're what my home grown ones should taste like if I ever get them. Was very excited to finally try these. This is another I was hoping to like much more than I did. Still a nice banana.
TEXTURE- A bit of a pasty texture like a Cavendish, but also more creamy and a bit of mealiness too it, but feels like they become very tiny mealy bits so it isn’t unpleasant. The center is more starchy like an Iholena.
FIRMNESS-Remains very firm for having brown spots on the peel. Softer on the outer part and noticeably firm towards the center so it’s got some chewiness to it.
SWEETNESS-Medium sweetness. Much less than a cavendish
TARTNESS- Has a good amount of tartness, especially in the center. Nearly as much as a Dwarf Brazilian. Would be an uninteresting banana without this.
RIPENESS- Tasted green a bit under ripe, firm ripe with the slightest brown specks, and reviewed when 1/3-1/2 of peel had brown specs. Was best at this stage though the texture was a bit less pasty 2 day prior.
FLAVOR- A bit of an orange flavor to it, like I get with very ripe praying hands.
OTHER- Thin peel. Very odd that the peel is still mostly light green even while very ripe and getting brown spots. It was edible 5 days prior to this while very green, though better 3-5 days later. Has a slightly floral and vegetal fragrance. It reminds me some of an Iholena that is overall better when eaten ripe. My bias is preferring more creamy bananas like DBs and Gros Michel, and I love tartness in bananas such as mysore. It also reminds me of a less sweet Lakatan with better texture and tanginess.
OVERALL RATING-6.5-7. This is another one I had high hopes for, given it’s supposed rating as the best tasting banana. Not by a long shot for me anyway. Overall it is pretty good. A nice balance of sweetness, tanginess, with an interesting and mostly pleasant texture. I expected something more however. It grew on me as I had 3 doing this tasting. I think they definitely need to be very ripe. Another day though, and they would have been too mushy and pasty. There are a number of bananas I’d probably go for before these, including GM, DB, Mysore, Namwah, 1000 fingers, Rose, and even ripe Praying Hands. They are more on par with cooking bananas like Maolis and Iholenas that are decent ripe, that I just eat because they are there.
SUGGESTED USE-Ripe out of hand. Didn’t try cooking them. They aren’t especially starchy so I don’t know how they would do cooked.