Cooking bananas
Large bunch of cooking bananas
Species
Musa × paradisiaca
Hybrid parentage
M. acuminata × M. balbisiana
Cultivar group
Cultivars from a number of groups, including the AAA Group, the AAB Group and the ABB Group
Origin
Primary: Southeast Asia, South Asia; secondary: West Africa

The plantain is a crop from the genus Musa. Its fruits are edible, and are generally used for cooking. This is different from the soft and sweet banana (which is often called dessert banana). Dessert bananas are more common to import in countries in the European Union or the United States.