Bananas
banane (French), Banane (German), banana (Italian), plátano/banana (Spanish), banana (Portuguese), banaan (Dutch), banan (Danish/Norwegian/Swedish), banaani (Finnish), banan (Russian/Polish), banbán (Hungarian), banana (Serbo-Croat), banana/mpanána (Greek), muz (Turkish), banana (Hebrew), múz (Arabic/Persian), kela (Hindi), pazham (Tamil), hnget-pyaw (Burmese), kluey/kluay (Thai), pisang (Malay/Indonesian), saging (Philippines), jiao (Chinese), banana (Japanese), maso/ndizi (Swahili), ikindu/kitoke (East African), banema (Guinea), usi (New Guinea), uch/ut (Micronesian), vudi (Fiji), futo (New Caledonia), futi (West Polynesia)
(Musa paradisiaca --Ffamily Musaceae)
The botanical names for the banana (Musa) come from the Sanskrit "moca", but does not seem to have attained its latinized name until the Middle Ages when the Arabic "mauz" was first used in the 13th century. The old specific name sapientium (means 'banana of the sages') had its origin in a legend recounted by a classical writer. Theophrastus told of three wise men who sat in the shade of a banana tree and ate its fruit. The name was then reserved for those sweet bananas eaten raw. Plantains or cooking bananas were assigned to Musa paradisiaca, which came about as a result of another legend of East Indian origin, where the banana was the fruit referred to as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in "paradise". There is a theory that it was a banana leaf that covered Adam's modesty and would surely have done so more effectively than a fig leaf.
The banana tree looks like a palm, but is actually an enormous herb with elongated fan-like leaves that can grow to over three meters in length. It grows a completly new "trunk" every year and dies back to its roots after it has flowered and fruited. This is remarkable, considering some kinds grow to heights of forty feet. The trunk is composed of overlapping bases of leaves wrapped tightly to make a fairly rigid column. New leaves constantly emerge at the top, forming a crown of leaves which are blown into tattered strips by the wind. This lowers the wind resistance because their "trunks" are not real trunks and, therefore, not as strong, and could easily be blown down. Eventually, a stem emerges at the top, bearing a large flower surrounded by red bracts. The bananas develop a little distance away from the flowering tip of the stem into clusters called "hands" that contain up to 200 bananas and point upwards through the leaves. Bananas start off growing downward, but then turn toward the light causing their tips to bend upward. This and their increasing weight cause the stem to bend over so that the fruits point upward, explaining why the banana has a slightly curved shape. The "hands" are comprised of ten to twenty bananas set in a double row in a half-spiral around the stem. There may be up to fifteen hands in a complete bunch which can weigh up to ninety pounds or more. Banana plants are propogated by replanting sections of the underground roots or budding stems. Growing rapidly, they produce beautiful red, yellow, and black flowers within a year.
Bananas are not left to ripen on the tree because they would soon split open and become infested with insects. Therefore, they are picked when two-thirds ripe and continue to ripen during shipment. The ripening process involves a chemical change in which protopectin is converted to soluble pectin, and starch is converted to sugars of 66% sucrose, 14% fructose, and 20% glucose. As the banana ripens, it gives off ethylene gas which, not only causes ripening, but the development of colour as well. Most fruits do this, but bananas give off an exceptionally large amount, so much so that they are able to help other nearby fruits to ripen. A ripening banana put into a closed container with green tomatoes will turn them red in a very short period of time or help an avocado ripen overnight.
Although bananas originated in Southeast Asia, they have grown in the tropics since ancient times. Before they were cultivated, bananas contained so many bitter black seeds that they were almost inedible. Today, there are more than 300 varieties of bananas that flourish in tropical regions, ranging from the sweet yellow pygmy fruit to the large fibrous plantains used only for cooking. The flowers of the wild banana of the Malaysian/Indonesian region, Musa acuminata, often fails to be fertilized in order to produce reasonable fruits. This wild plant, sometimes known as the monkey banana, must have been used for food since the earliest of times. At some point in the prehistoric era, cultivation began and growers encouraged varieties, with the least tendency to produce seeds. However, before the plant was driven into complete sterility, it crossed with an inedible wild species, M. balbisiana. The resulting hybrid bore almost seedless fruits of a superior quality and improved descendants of both M. acuminata and the hybrid. This forms the majority of the cultivated bananas today. Botanists classified bananas of this group as Eumusa (good banana) cultivars.
The earliest written record of their cultivation is of a 6th century BCE East Indian origin and did not reach China until about 200 CE, as mentioned in the works of Yang Fu. By the T'ang dynasty (618-907), it was already well-established, but grown only in the south, and considered a rare and exotic fruit in the north. This attitude lasted into the 20th century as the following story of the nationalist wars of the 1930s shows. The northern Manchurian warlord, Wu Chüsheng, had been invited to Peking to attend a banquet. At the end of the meal, a bowl of fresh fruit was set in front of him; and he selected a banana and ate it, peel and all. His host, wishing to offer a tactful hint, also took a banana and conspicuously peeled it before eating it. Wu, now aware of his error but not wanting to lose face, took a second banana and said that he always ate these things with their peel on, and he took another and ate it the same way.
The banana was brought to the attention of the Greeks in the 4th century BCE when the army of Alexander the Great encountered the tree in India in 327; and by the common era, the banana was cultivated in much of the eastern Mediterranean area. During the thousand-year history of the Byzantine Empire, bananas were favoured as the chief ingredient in desserts, served with honey, nuts, and various other fruits. Bananas were already growing extensively in equatorial Africa when the Portuguese arrived in 1498, likely having been introduced centuries before by Arab traders who brought them from India. It is alleged that banana plants were taken from the Canary Islands to the island of Hispanola in the West Indies by Tomas de Berlanga in 1516 and, soon after, to Mexico and Central America. However, banana leaves were found in Incan tombs predating the Spanish conquest of the area. In addition, Las Casas, a member of Columbus's fourth expedition (1503), mentions bananas growing in Costa Rica, together with pineapples and coconuts. Thus, it is quite possible that the banana plant was taken to South America by South Pacific migrants long before the Spanish introduction of them to certain areas.
The Spanish did introduce the banana plant to southern California, where Captain George Vancouver found them thriving during his visit in 1793. Today, huge plantations are found throughout Central America, northern South America, the West Indies, and Hawaii, supplying much of the Western World's demand. During the first millennium CE, the banana reached Africa, probably from Malay region to Madagascar. By the end of the 14th century, the fruit was being cultivated across the continent to the west coast. The Arabs spread cultivation through their lands south of the Mediterranean before 650 CE, but no further north than Egypt. Since the climate in southern Europe is too cool for the plant, the banana remained unknown to most Europeans until the early 1400s when Portuguese sailors found it in West Africa and took it to the Canary Islands, where it remains an important growing area. This may explain why the European name 'banana' comes from a West African word, "banema" or "banana". In 1516, a Spanish missionary took banana roots with him from the Canaries to the West Indies, and then onto Panama, finally reaching the American mainland. Other missionaries followed his example, and the new plant quickly spread through Central America and the northern parts of South America. For some reason, the Spaniards saw a likeness between the banana tree and a totally different tree (plateno), which is how plantain obtained its confusing name.
In their native Asia, bananas are among the oldest cultivated plants; but they are known to the West only since 1885 when the occasional small consignments of bananas were sent by fast ships from the Canaries to Europe and from Cuba to the US. Considered an expensive luxury item, early varieties had not been bred for their keeping qualities, so the fruit had to arrive in just over two weeks. Two Americans are credited with introducing an expensive fruit to other lands on a regular basis. Captain Lorenzo Baker and Minor Keith, who independently in 1870 and 1872 began to ship bananas from the Caribbean to New Orleans, Boston, and New York. They also set up plantations and began an international banana trade. In 1899, they merged their interests to form the United Fruit Company which had, and still has, great influence in Central America and the islands. It is also the reason that these producing countries became known as the "banana republics". Other companies soon followed their lead, and West Indian bananas began appearing in Europe. When consumers saw the big yellow Caribbean bananas, they quickly lost interest in the small brown Canary variety, despite their better flavour.
The principal aroma of bananas is caused by amyl acetate. They also contain tryptopha, an amino acid that is converted to serotonin, an inhibiting brain neurotransmitter which makes bananas a calming food. Bananas can also be an internal lubricator, and green ones are used as an astringent in the treatment of diarrhea and hemorrhoids. When fully ripe, they can be beneficial in the treatment of constipation and ulcers. Some native peoples rubbed banana peels on their skin problems. Modern research has since confirmed that rubbing banana peel on red, scaly patches of psoriasis can provide relief without the side effects of conventional remedies. The active ingredients in banana peels, called esterified fatty acids, have been isolated and incorporated into a patented lotion (Exorex lotion) and sold commercially.
Bananas are rich in potassium, riboflavin, niacin, and dietary fiber. They also contain Vitamins A and C, B6, some calcium, iron, and magnesium. Because of their sweetness, they have a high energy value, making them a good supplement for active people. They have long been a natural cure to help replenish lost potassium during bouts of diarrhea or vomiting. Bananas are low in sodium and contain small quantities of the indigestible fibers cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, with moderate amounts of pectin, the food fiber that prevents the absorption of fats and may help lower blood cholesterol levels. Because of this trait, foods containing pectin should not be eaten at the same time as the consumption of essential fatty acids, which the body requires.
A banana begins with more starch than sugar; but as the fruit ripens, that role is reversed. Eating unripe bananas can be harmful because they contain proteins that inhibit amylase, an enzyme that digests complex carbohydrates. Ripe bananas can be stored in the fridge. The cold air will slow the natural enzyme action that ripens the fruit, eventually rotting it. Cold storage will darken the banana's skin caused by the damaged cells in the skin to release polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that converts phenols to dark brown compounds. The fruit inside, however, will remain tasty for several days. For a quick "banana ice cream", bananas can be frozen in their skins, then quickly peeled and eaten immediately before they turns mushy. Using bananas this way in a blender drink is also excellent. Overripe bananas need not be thrown out. They make excellent additions to banana bread or pancakes.
Other forms include dried bananas, whose natural sweetness is intensified, and canned bananas, which are generally packed in a heavy syrup. Raw bananas can be used in a variety of ways, including drinks, ice creams, and in salads. In Indonesia and the Far East, bananas are served as an accompaniment to such rice dishes as nasi goreng and curries. They combine well with other tropical fruits, and can be baked in their skins. Banana buds or flowers are used as a vegetable, but must be properly prepared first. Each capsule contains a female, neuter, and male flower part; and each opens up into a banana, except one, the large terminal bud that hangs down from the ripening bunch of bananas. It is this all-male flower that is served up as a vegetable. The bud looks like a "maroon torpedo", about ten inches long. To make it edible, one has to be ruthless in its cleaning, much like an artichoke.
On the flip-side, bananas can interfere with the action of some drugs, especially in those taking MAO inhibitors (monoamine oxidase), which are used as antidepressants or antihypertensives. They inhibit the action of enzymes that break down the amino acid tyramine so it can be eliminated from the body. Tyramine is a pressor amine, a chemical that constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. By eating such a food as a banana that contains tyramine, while taking an MAO inhibitor, the pressor amine cannot be eliminated; and the result can be abnormally high blood pressure or a hypertensive crisis.
Bananas can also create a false-positive for tumors. Carcinoid tumors can arise from tissues in the endocrine system, the intestines, or the lungs. These tumors secrete serotonin, a natural chemical that makes blood vessels expand or contract. Because seratonin is excreted in the urine, these tumors are diagnosed by measuring the levels of seratonin by-products in the urine. Bananas contain large amounts of seratonin, and eating them three days before an endocrine tumor test can produce a result that will suggest the presence of a tumor that is really not there. Other such foods that can create a similar false-positive tumor test are avocadoes, eggplant, pineapples, plums, tomatoes, and walnuts.
Some types of bananas include the following:
Cavendish is known as the dessert banana, and is the most common and widely available. Such varieties of sweet banana are the long, curved fruit which develop a speckled brown skin as they ripen. Cavendish bananas are of southern Chinese origin and a top commercial variety. The most popular cultivar is Dwarf Cavendish. It is not named for its size, but for its short growing stem. This variety is able to tolerate cooler climates better than other bananas. The Canary banana is a subvariety of Dwarf Cavendish. Cavendish bananas are shorter, blunter, duller coloured, and with thinner skin than the Gros Michel. The flavour of most kinds is better, and they are preferred in Asia.
Lady finger or Sugar are tiny finger bananas often no more than three inches long. They have a creamy flesh and a very sweet flavour. They are also known as Baby Bananas, Mysore, Ninos, dwarf, and Chicaditas, and are a favourite of children. They are smaller than a Cavendish and considerably sweeter, with a denser texture.
Lemon bananas or Burro bananas are small, chunky bananas grown in Mexico that have a faint lemon flavour.
Apple bananas or Manzanos are also a small yellow banana that has golden flesh and, when very ripe, a faint taste and aroma of an apple or strawberries. They are not as sweet as regular bananas and about half the size.
Red bananas (also known as red Cubans or Colorados) are from Ecuador. They have brownish-red skins and smooth, yellowish-pink, sweet flesh with a creamy texture. Their colour makes it hard to assess the exact degree of ripeness, so they can sometimes prove disappointing. They are ripe when a few blackish patches develop on the skin.
Green bananas are large and suitable only for cooking. Their crisp flesh makes them a good substitute for potatoes, although their flavour is blander. Fried green bananas are very good in curries.
Gros Michel is the big familiar, top commercial, yellow eating banana. Its thick skin and reliable quality make it ideal for shipping long distances, and has long been grown in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. It was introduced to the West Indies in 1835, and soon became the dominant variety called the Jamaican banana.
Lacatan is another export variety, very similar to the export types of Dwarf Cavendish. In the Philippines, they are known as the Lakatan and is regarded as the best banana in the world. It is highly aromatic and its pulp is sweet, firm, and light orange-yellow when ripe.
Other varieties, including some very good ones, are only eaten in the area where they are grown because their skins are too thin or their lives are to short to permit export, except by air as a luxury item. Among these is the silk banana, grown in tropical regions worldwide. In the French West Indies, names for a particular banana are used that mean plum, fig, or pineapple fig; but that banana has very white flesh and a sweet, but sharp taste. A similar variety is the lady's finger or apple banana. A small, thin-skinned deep yellow banana of bulbous shape is called "sucrier" or bird's fig in the West Indies and "pisang mas" (golden banana) in Malaysia and Indonesia. It is a major variety in New Guinea, and is known in the Philippines. The Mysore banana grows well in poor soil and is often cultivated in the more barren parts of Asia, and is a quite good eating variety. In both Asia and the West Indies, there are several kinds of red bananas, sometimes having a green stripe and pink flesh. They are delicious, but frail and shortlived. A few are exported to the US.
