History
Evidence suggests that bananas have been eaten in India for several thousand years. They were being grown in China in AD200 and by the 15th century were cultivated across Africa. Banana imports only began reaching a wider audience in the northern hemisphere in the last hundred years.
Biology
The banana plant looks like a tree but is, botanically speaking, a fast-growing perennial herb. Each year it grows a completely new trunk-like shoot that dies back to its roots again after the plant has fruited.
Nutrition
Bananas supply a significant amount of potassium and vitamin B6 and moderate levels of folic acid and vitamins A and C. Their sugars form a rich energy source that is released over a relatively long period of time, hence their use by many sportsmen and women as a natural performance-enhancing dietary supplement.
Tips
Buying
The taste and texture of a banana develops as it ripens. Fruit that are yellow with just the hint of a freckling of brown will be at their most flavoursome; eat your banana earlier than this if you prefer a firmer texture (often better for cooking). Soft or strongly smelling fruit are overripe.
Storing
Bananas that require further ripening should be kept at room temperature, but away from heat or direct sun. Ripe bananas can be refrigerated, which arrests the ripening process, for a few days – allow them to reach room temperature before eating.
Preparing
Banana slices can be prevented from discolouring quite so quickly by dipping them in an acidic citrus juice such as orange, lemon or lime.
Other Stuff
In Uganda, around Kilimanjaro, and in parts of western Kenya and western Tanzania, bananas are the main raw material for a number of fermented drinks including banana beer and banana wine. The banana plant is regarded by Hindus as a symbol of fertility and prosperity, and the leaves and fruits often feature in marriage rituals.
Ripening bananas give off substantial quantities of ethylene gas, which accelerates ripening in other foods. Unripe foods such as tomatoes or avocados can be ripened in hours if placed in a closed container with a banana.
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