Japanese banana variety boasts edible skin, but taste-testers aren't going bananas over it By Jenn Gidman Newser Published February 2, 2018 5:00am EST | Updated February 2, 2018 5:37am EST ...

It looks just like any other banana, but it's supposed to be softer and sweeter -- and its peel is edible. In Japanese, it's being described as "mongee" -- the "super" banana.

We’re all for exciting and tasty new ways to consume vital nutrients, but getting your hands on a Mongee isn’t exactly easy. Currently, they're only sold in western Japan, and only ten pieces ...

The site also noted that the banana is very sweet, with a pineapple-like odor and a "very strong tropical flavor." Currently, D&T only provides 10 Mongee bananas a week to one department store ...

Banana crops aren't in the best shape, but new varieties could help. Japanese Mongee bananas debuted this winter, bred to be cold-resistant and pesticide-free. Plus, you can eat the peel.

This banana will last longer because it’s covered in an edible coating made from food waste Preventing food waste without using plastic is a challenge for grocery stores.

So far, the edible-peel banana is little more than designer fruit. Researchers develop the fruit in weekly batches of 10, and sell them at a single market in Okayama for nearly $6 apiece.