Bananas (and things you didn't know about them)

Supermarkets in Hawaii (and most other places) tend to carry the familiar Cavendish variety of banana. It’s a larger banana and gets mushy quickly.

But there are many other delightful varieties of bananas that can be easily found in Hawaii, like the apple banana which is small and firm and has great flavor, the ice cream banana which has a soft creamy texture like ice cream, or the red banana. There are even striped bananas.

Uncommon striped bananas at the Maui Fair.

“Cooking bananas” have edible flowers for salad and stay firm, even after they are cooked. Some banana varieties or plantains are grated when they are green and hard and cooked in local dishes like pastele.

Where to find great bananas?

Farmers markets, roadside fruit stands, smaller mom and pop grocery stores, ethnic stores like Filipino stores, and some health food stores.

Bananas in native Hawaiian culture: Interestingly, bananas were a forbidden food for Hawaiian women. Nowadays, that’s not a taboo anyone keeps.  The banana leaf makes a great serving dish and can be used to wrap food in for cooking. Bananas were also one of the canoe plants transported over the ocean when the Hawaiians settled different islands.

Medicinal uses: Bananas have surprising medicinal value. The sap from the banana trunk is extremely bitter and has been ingested as Hawaiian medicine for the flu, colds or a sore throat. (I am not recommending you to do this, this is NOT medical advice.) It also will stain your clothes permanently brown!

Growing bananas: They are fairly easy to grow, but like warm weather and lots of water and good soil. When the plant starts to flower, it can take months for the bananas to fully develop. After the plant fruits, it dies, so it’s best to cut down after harvesting the bananas. New banana plants will grow from the roots of the parents.

By the way, cats do not eat bananas. My cat will tell you so. 

P.S. If you are blog hopping from the A to Z challenge, please include your link if you comment! I try to reciprocate comments as quickly as I can, though I did lag behind last year, especially towards the end.


P.P.S. I am running two mini-contests during the A-Z Challenge (and into part of May). Here's how to enter.