Kluay or Kluai (Scientific name: Musa sapientum L. ) is the Thai word for "Banana". In Thailand, bananas are available all year round. Bananas are perhaps the most popular of all tropical fruits, and Thailand has about 20 different varieties, ranging from fragrant, sweet little "finger bananas" to large specimens with thick golden skins. The fruit is also among the most versatile and turns up at Thai meals in numerous forms besides fresh at the peak of ripeness. Among the varieties of Thailand bananas are: 1. Kluay Hom - refers to a large banana 2. Kluay Kai are dainty banana (Pisang mas) 3. Kluay Leb Muenang 4. Kluay Nam Wa or Kluay Namwah (Pisang awak) which refers to a sweet banana. Kluay Nam Wa is the most famous type of banana in Thailand probably because of ist sweetness. Bananas are used in Thailand in many ways, when bananas are young and green, they may be eaten raw as a vegetable with a spicy sauce ; more developed, but still unripe, they are sliced, dried in the sun, and fried for a snack. Among the Thai foods which are made of bananas are: 1. Kluai Ping refer to grilled bananas soaked with syrup 2. Kluai Buat Chi refer to boiled bananas in coconut milk with salt and sugar 3. Kluai Chuam refer to bananas boiled in syrup 4. Kluai Phao refer to bananas smoked with its peel on. 5. Kluai Khaek refer to golden banana fritters