Until about a year ago, I spent my entire life peeling bananas from the stem down. Believing that this was the right way to peel a banana, I would often find myself wrestling with the dang fruit, only to end up with a half-mushed and bruised banana. After going through all that trouble, I wouldn't even want to eat my mangled banana. Who would?
I'm willing to bet that most of you also peel your bananas from the stem down — in everyone's defense, it seems like that is the function of the stem. Well, prepare for the banana peeling game to be revolutionized. The true, correct way to peel a banana is from the bottom up.
I know, I know — it sounds completely ridiculous and weird, but peeling a banana from the bottom up is the most efficient way to open the fruit. Still skeptical? Monkeys peel their bananas this way because they're not trying to wrestle with their food like we, apparently, are.
Since this concept is so fresh, new, and a little befuddling, here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to correctly peel a banana:
Step 1:
Ignore that misleading stem and turn your banana upside down.
Step 2:
Using your thumb and pointer finger, squeeze the nubby tip of the fruit. This should split the skin without creating any mess.
Step 3:
Peel back the skin all the way around the banana, then take a second to admire how hassle-free that was. No mush, no bruise, no mess.
If you're averse to change, or you think taking advice from a monkey is questionable, I understand that you may continue to peel your banana the "traditional" way. Just know that you'll probably miss out on the top 2 or 3 inches of your potassium-filled fruit, while the rest of us will enjoy our bananas in their entirety. One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.