the two types of banana together because of their
many similarities.
Bananas are probably one of the oldest cultivated and amongst the first
food plants of man. In the Pacific, with the exception of some atolls, they
are the most widely grown fruit .
The true indigenous bananas were found mostly in the Western Pacific.
Bananas belong to the genus Musa. The plantain is Musa paradisiaca and
the sweet banana eaten raw is Musa acuminata.
The species probably originated from Indonesia and Malaysia
. The two general types of bananas grown and used in the Pacific are
the cooking banana (plantain) and the common eating bananas, which are
best eaten raw when ripe. The common eating bananas are the Cavendish,
Bananas grow in different types of soil, but the most suitable are loose and
well drained. About one year after planting, banana plants bear fruit. Each
plant flowers and fruits only once. However, new suckers continue the life
of the corm .
New plants are normally produced by planting the suckers
. A sucker unrolls a fixed number of leaves before fruiting occurs
. Bananas may fruit at any time during the year, but most
commonly in the warm months. The size of the bunch (number and size
of the hands, size of the bananas) largely reflects the health and conditions
of the sucker . Banana was one of the major cash crops
exported to New Zealand in the early 1970s and 1980s by some Pacific
Island countries.
Selection
Bananas that are fully mature and/or beginning to ripen on the plant have
the best flavour. However, fruit left to ripen on the plant attract birds. In
addition, if we live in urban areas and have to depend on the market for our
supply, most of the ripe bananas we buy are harvested green, and may not
be fully mature before harvest. As bananas ripen, starch is converted to
sugar, the fruit softens and the colour changes from yellow-green to yellow,
then to gold, eventually becoming mottled with dark spots .
When selecting bananas, choose those that have a more rounded appearance,
with few or no ridges, because they will be fuller. Fruits must be free
from bruising and sap stains. It is best to select those that are just beginning
to turn yellow, because they will ripen in the
next few days. Bananas ripen very quickly in our
climate, so ripe bananas will not last. The best
temperature for the ripening process is
18–22°C. Fully ripe bananas with dark
spots are the best for young children
because all the starch in
which has larger fruits, and the small, sweet type called lady’s fingersStorage
Whole bunches may be obtained and are best hung in a cool store-house
or cool part of the kitchen. However, bananas are more commonly sold in
hands. Ripe bananas bruise easily, so care must be taken when transporting
them. The mature bunch can be left on the plant and only the most developed
hands (beginning to turn yellow) harvested as necessary. But this is
advisable only if the plant is close to home.
Mature or half-ripe bananas, in either bunches or hands, can be ripened
under controlled conditions. Ripening can be accelerated by placing the
fruits in a warm place or in a plastic bag. They deteriorate when stored
below 12°C. Fruits are best stored at a cooler temperature of 13–16°C
. Ripe bananas may be refrigerated, but the
cold temperature turns the skin an unattractive, dark-brown colour. The
fruit eventually gets bruised and soft.
For international trade, bananas are stored at 14°C to stop ripening and to
allow long-distance shipping. To ripen them, the temperature is increased
and fruit is exposed to ethylene gas which allows the fruit to be stored for
a month at 30°C .
Preparation
All three types (plantain, Cavendish, lady’s fingers) have similar characteristics.
Recipes for one can be used for the others.
Ripe fruit should be washed well before use. Peel and trim off ends before
eating. It is best to prepare bananas just before serving, to prevent them
from being exposed to air and becoming oxidised. To mash bananas, use a
fork and mash on a flat plate. For use in recipes, sliced or mashed bananas
should be dipped in lemon juice to prevent browning. For some plantain
recipes, it may be necessary to cut the fruit in half lengthwise and remove
the dark middle vein.
Green bananas can be cooked in their skin as well as peeled. When cooking
in the skin, wash and trim the ends before boiling or baking. When cooked,
peel off the skin — it should come off easily. Bananas that are just beginning
to turn yellow have a sweet tangy taste when cooked. Some recipes
may require peeled green banana. In this instance, peel with a knife or asharp shell and place the peeled banana in water immediately to prevent
browning before use. Green bananas stain badly and the stains are almost
impossible to remove, so care must be taken not to get banana sap on
clothes.
Food value
Ripe bananas are easily digested. They are a good source of energy — an
average-sized banana contains about 377 kJ or 90 kcal .
They are high in potassium (approximately 400 mg/100 g), and also contain
some fibre and Vitamin C . Plantain can be a
good source of carotene in the atolls.
Use
Bananas are eaten fresh as a fruit or used as an ingredient when ripe and as
a starchy staple when green.
As a fruit, all three types are best eaten raw. Ripe bananas provide an excellent
snack, fresh or dried. Sliced bananas can be added to fruit salads.
Pureed banana can be used to make ice-cream, cake, loaf, scone, pancake,
muffin, soufflé and mousse. Ripe bananas can also form the base for side
dishes to serve with curry when mixed with grated fresh coconut, sultanas
and lemon juice.
Although ripe plantain is also eaten raw as fruit, it is more commonly used
cooked.
All three types are made into delicious traditional puddings by mixing with
cassava flour and coconut cream (e.g. poke, a Cook Island dish; lote, a Fijian
dessert). In parts of Fiji Islands, ripe plantain is used in place of green leafy
vegetables to cook with fish in coconut cream.
Fresh ripe bananas make an excellent weaning food for young children.
Mashed with some breast milk, or mashed and cooked in thin coconut
milk, bananas provide a valuable supplement to the infant’s diet.
Half-ripe banana makes a very tasty snack when boiled or fried as chips.
