There are two main types of bananas; plantain bananas and dessert bananas. The plantain bananas are used in cooking because they need  to have their starchy pulp broken down. This type of banana is usually an irregular green color and they should not be eaten if they are completely black or soft in some places. The dessert bananas, however, are harvested when they are green and they are left to ripen until they turn to either a yellow or a red color. They are eaten raw.