It is commonly confused with the more ubiquitous and closely related saba banana because they are used identically in traditional Filipino cuisine.

The fruits are distinctively larger than saba bananas and have a rounder more pentagonal cross-section.

They are typically harvested while unripe since they are used as cooking bananas, but they can be eaten as is if allowed to ripen.

However they are deemed more suitable for processing into banana chips due to their larger fruit sizes.

[1] Cardava bananas are highly resistant to black sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fifiensis).