Bananas refer to both the plant and the fruits it bears. Native to South and Southeast Asia, the plants are now widely cultivated in tropical regions around the world. Banana fruits have an intensely sweet taste and pasty texture, wrapped in bright yellow leathery skins. Banana leaves are also used in Asian cultures as environmentally friendly disposable tableware or as packaging for cooking other foods. Firmer, less sweet varieties of bananas with different colored skins are also cultivated or grown in the wild.