Bananas.
At the end of the XX century, scientists have proven that bananas contain substances similar in structure to the so-called happiness hormone serotonin. This substance is a human surge of strength and a sense of joy. Let’s also be satisfied with a banana and learn more about it!
Banana plant, reaching a height of 6-7.5 m, often mistakenly referred to as a tree. In fact, it’s just a great herb with a fleshy, very juicy stem – cylinder, built of petioles. Banana leaves smooth, oblong, reaching 2.7 m in length.
The main exporters of bananas – Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Philippines and Colombia. Each of these countries export more than one million tons per year. But taken together, these countries supply three-quarters of total world exports.
Homeland bananas believe tropics of Southeast Asia. Recent archaeological excavations in Cook Swamp (Papua – New Guinea) have shown that bananas grown here for 5000 years BC. Second home as the banana crop is considered East Africa, where in the IV century BC, were immigrants from the Malay Archipelago.
The Latin name for banana musa, likely comes from the Arabic word for banana. And the word “banana” moved from the West African language Wolof in Portuguese and English. By the way, the first Portuguese sailors
Banana brought to America from West Africa in the XVI century.
In the Middle East there were bananas at the end of the VI century. In the Middle Ages Spanish bananas from Granada were considered the best in the Arab world. The first people to put banana cultivation on an industrial scale, were the Portuguese. In the XV-XVI centuries they have created a banana plantation in the Atlantic Islands, Brazil and West Africa.
Banana contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, C, E, PP, as well as elements such as potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium,
iron.
The types and grades
Fruits of banana are divided into two main categories – dessert that eaten raw or dried, and planteyny – bananas, require the preparation of a heat treatment.
About 500 different varieties of bananas are grown around the world in subtropical and tropical zones. However, in the international market only sold a dozen varieties. Dessert bananas Cavendish varieties, the Gros Michel, constitute the lakatan weight world banana exports.
How to cook
Dessert bananas occupy an important place in the kitchens of Europe. They bake cakes, make puddings and creams, souffles, ice cream, sorbets.
With bananas make pancakes, baked with almonds, prepared from these sauces and cocktails. English banoffee pie – it’s dessert-based banana and toffee with whipped cream. Many dessert with bananas and American cuisine. This banana bread, banana and cheesecake, and all kinds of muffins with banana toppings. But the most famous, of course, banana split – «boat” from banana
with balls of ice cream, drenched with syrup.
In most tropical countries, bananas (planteyny) often eat unripe. The local population uses them the same way we use potatoes, bananas fried, boiled, baked and make chips. Guatemalans and Cubans like bananas fried, do have salads. Chileans prepare them drink horchata with rice and cinnamon. In Uganda, the main part of the banana crop goes to make beer.
In India, a curry cooked green bananas and ripe Wright – banana sauce with yogurt and puri – fried banana donuts. In the Philippines, banana added to the stew of chicken and pork. In Jamaica, a spicy baked banana bread and bananas in Hawaii marinated in rum, paneer in coconut chips and fried in boiling oil. In China, the fried bananas in caramel. And in Malaysia are preparing a beverage that resembles a milkshake, but hot: boiled milk with bananas, whipped, and then sprinkled with cinnamon.
In many countries, and are used banana leaves, which successfully replace the plate. For example, Thailand is often served fish wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.
Season
Bananas are sold in supermarkets throughout the year, but the most delicious from February to May
How to choose and store
The taste and texture of the banana is best manifested when it is ripe. Yellow fruit with a hint of typical “freckles” will be the most fragrant. Soft and strong-smelling fruit considered already heavily over-mature.
Bananas, for further maturation should be stored at room temperature, away from heat or direct sunlight. Ripe bananas can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days, which stops the ripening process. Just do not forget to remove them before eating them to reach room temperature
