Food

The Correct Way to Peel a Banana

Step 1: Turn over the banana.

Don’t be alarmed, but everything you know about banana peeling is probably a lie.

When we came across this tutorial recently, it made us a little sad. The featured peeler’s method is correct, but had he been a loyal Slate reader, he could have saved himself years of hardship. As discussed in our 2002 piece on the subject, peeling bananas top-first is a primitive habit that needs to be corrected immediately. Monkeys peel bananas from the bottom, and you should too.

The process is simple: Flip the banana upside down, pinch the bottom until the peel splits, and then—voila—you’re ready to remove the peel. See the video above, and let’s never speak of this again.