Botanically, banana is a berry and is one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world. Originally from tropical Asia, it has become widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the earth. Bananas are harvested in the preclimacteric stage, while they are still green and hard (ripe for harvest). Their degreening is completed with artificial way inside the so called «ripening champers» who provide special conditions of temperature, humidity and ventilation.
The modern technology ripening champers of the company Rea Fruits provide all the above specifications.
Bananas may be divided into seven different degrees of ripeness in accordance with their external color:
| Degree of ripeness | Appearance of skin | Characteristics |
| 1 | Green | Color at time of loading |
| 2 | Green with faint hint of yellow | Color at time of unloading |
| 3 | More green than yellow | Incipient discoloration of skin indicates continuing ripening process |
| 4 | More yellow than green | Correct degree of ripeness for ordering by wholesalers and retailers and delivery from ripening warehouse |
| 5 | Yellow with green tip | Best condition for retail sale, as the fruit can still be kept for several days |
| 6 | Completely yellow | Fruit appears at its best and is very tasty. When the fruit is this ripe, the skin is very sensitive to mechanical influences |
| 7 | Yellow with brown spots | Small brown spots indicate that the fruit is fully ripe. Its aroma and flavor are at their best |
There are more than 1000 varieties of banana but the most popular because of its sweetness is CAVENDISH, which our company trades.
It is a very popular fruit because of its aromatic taste and nutritional benefits. It contains carbohydates, fibres, vitamins A, B, C, E and trace elements like ferrum and calcium which provide us with the adequate energy.
Rea Fruits is the official partner of CHIQUITA in Crete, while multinational company DOLE is one of our basic suppliers.
Our company is also importing Derby bananas with Equador origin and Bananas De Mexico by Mexico.