Chiron I remember the little red bananas from my childhood, they were lovely, they would grow in the village all around the houses.
We ate a lot of green bananas, plantains, which are not sweet, but are a nice addition to curries and stir fries.
Banana leaves are also used in Asia, as takeaway packaging, if you buy food from a street market vendor, you are likely to have it served on a banana leaf, which you take home and put in your compost.
There is also a company in Australia, who are making paper out of the trunks of banana plants, after they have finished fruiting.