The
worlds largest banana display.
Banana is the common
name for a fruit and also the herbaceous plants of the
genus Musa which produce the commonly eaten fruit. They
are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia, the
Malay Archipelago, and Australia. Today, they are cultivated
throughout the tropics.
The banana fruit grow in hanging clusters, with up to
20 fruit to a tier (called a hand), and 3-20 tiers to
a bunch. The total of the hanging clusters is known as
a bunch, or commercially as a "banana stem",
and can weigh from 30·50 kg. The fruit averages
125 g, of which approximately 75% is water and 25% dry
matter content. Each individual fruit (known as a banana
or 'finger') has a protective outer layer (a peel or skin)
with a fleshy edible inner portion. Typically, the fruit
has numerous strings (called 'phloem bundles') which run
between the skin and the edible portion of the banana,
and which are commonly removed individually after the
skin is removed. Bananas are a valuable source of vitamin
B6, vitamin C, and potassium.
Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe,
including yellow, purple and red. Bananas can be eaten
raw though some varieties are generally cooked first.
Depending upon cultivar and ripeness, the flesh can vary
in taste from starchy to sweet, and texture from firm
to mushy. Unripe or green bananas and plantains are used
for cooking various dishes and are the staple starch of
many tropical populations. Banana sap is extremely sticky
and can be used as a practical adhesive. Sap can be obtained
from either the pseudostem, the fruit peelings, or the
from the flesh... |
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