A banana - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Bananas come from the “genus Musa of the family Musaceae” (“banana”), and the seedless, edible ones come from the “species M. acuminata Colla or the hybrid M. X paradisiaca L.” (Morton 30). The different species of banana provide a clue to the fruit’s geographical origins, which is usually found in countries with tropical climates like Brazil, India, and Indonesia. Having various hybrids, meanwhile, further expands the fruit’s varieties and ensures continuous cultivation and propagation.
Bananas are classified into major groups, such as Sucrier and Gros Michel, the Cavendish subgroup, and other cultivars (Morton 35). Mostly found in Colombia, the Philippines, and Burma, bananas from the Sucrier group are small in size, mostly sweet, and covered in thin skin (Morton 35). Due to their size and taste, bananas from this group are readily consumable and incorporated in dessert recipes. The Gros Michel group produces bananas that are larger from the ones in Sucrier group, yellow in color, and usually found in South America, Central Africa, and the Caribbean (Morton 36). The Cavendish subgroup, meanwhile, includes the Giant Cavendish, Dwarf Cavendish, and Bungulan (Morton 37). Medium-sized, thin-skinned, and delicate, the Dwarf Cavendish is usually found in China, East Africa, and South Africa. The Giant Cavendish is larger than Dwarf Cavendish, and closely resembles the Gros Michel (Morton 37). Riping unevenly during winter and prone to storage spoilage, Bungulan is mostly used for cooking in Jamaica (Morton 38).
Banana uses for food are as diverse as its varieties and hybrids. Eaten raw, a banana is peeled, sliced, or mixed with other fruits. Bursts of sweetness and undertones of tanginess are released from biting the soft, starchy flesh of a banana. Broiled or baked ripe bananas can be served with peanuts and brown sugar (Morton 41). When added in dessert recipes, a banana’s flavor and mushy ...Download file to see next pagesRead More