IIRC, they're still produced in Thailand, so depending on the part of Asia you were in, you may have already had it.
Correct, I'm living in Thailand currently and the local bananas all look very much like Gros Michels. They taste great to me and are super cheap, very good joules per money.
What is stopping us from reverting to the Gros Michel? I wonder if it could be planted in places where the Cavendish now grows.
The TR1 fungus is still lurking, waiting for its victim to return.