Cooking banana

Cooking bananas are a category of banana cultivars from the genus Musa that are typically cooked rather than eaten raw, due to their starchy texture. While often called plantains or green bananas, the botanical definition of "true plantains" is narrower, referring only to specific cooking cultivars in the AAB group. Other starchy cooking cultivars fall into the AAB, AAA, ABB, or BBB groups, and all such hybrids are scientifically classified as Musa × paradisiaca.

Fe'i bananas (Musa × troglodytarum), found in the Pacific Islands, are sometimes informally called mountain plantains because they are commonly roasted or boiled, but they are not descended from the same species as modern banana cultivars. These cooking bananas are a key staple across West and Central Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America, though the Musa genus originally comes from tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania. Because bananas can fruit throughout the year, they serve as a dependable, all-season food source.

Description

Plantains contain more starch and less sugar than dessert bananas, which is why they are usually cooked. Green plantains are typically boiled or fried, and can be processed into flour for baked goods like cakes, bread, and pancakes. Their pulp is hard, and the peel is often so stiff it requires a knife to remove. When boiled and pureed, green plantains can thicken soups.

Mature yellow plantains, on the other hand, have softer pulp and some starch converted to sugar, making them peelable like dessert bananas. Though they can be eaten raw, they are less flavorful than dessert bananas and are usually cooked. Frying yellow plantains causes them to caramelize into a golden-brown color; they can also be boiled, baked, microwaved, or grilled over charcoal, either peeled or unpeeled.

Globally, plantains rank as the tenth most important staple food, especially in tropical regions. Their neutral flavor and texture when cooked—by steaming, boiling, or frying—make them comparable to potatoes. Because they fruit year-round, they are particularly valuable in developing countries where food storage, preservation, and transportation are limited. In Africa, plantains and bananas supply over 25 percent of the daily calories for more than 70 million people.

However, plantain plantations are vulnerable to hurricanes, as Musa species cannot withstand strong winds. An average plantain provides roughly 220 kcal and is a good source of potassium and dietary fiber. The sap from the fruit peel and the entire plant can stain clothing and hands and is difficult to remove.

Taxonomy

Taxonomically, Carl Linnaeus originally split bananas into two species based on use: Musa paradisiaca for plantains and Musa sapientum for dessert bananas. Both are now known to be hybrids of Musa acuminata (A genome) and Musa balbisiana (B genome), and the earlier name Musa × paradisiaca is used for all such hybrids. Most modern plantains are sterile triploids of the AAB Group, also called the "Plantain group." Other economically important cooking banana groups include the East African Highland bananas (Mutika/Lujugira subgroup) of the AAA Group and the Pacific plantains (including Popoulo, Maoli, and Iholena subgroups), also of the AAB Group.

Fried

Various dishes feature cooking bananas. In Indonesia and Malaysia, pisang goreng is a deep-fried plantain snack, sometimes coated in batter, popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. In Kerala, India, fried plantain is called ethakka appam, pazham boli, or pazham pori, where the plantain is dipped in sweetened rice and white flour batter before frying in coconut or vegetable oil.

In southern Indian states, it is also known as bajji and served as a savory fast food. In Andhra Pradesh, aritikaya kura or vepudu refers to deep-fried or cooked plantain dishes, often served with steamed white rice and yogurt, and is a favorite at weddings. In the Philippines, fried bananas accompany arroz a la cubana and are considered a defining ingredient.

In Ivory Coast, aloco features fried plantains topped with an onion-tomato sauce and often a grilled fish. In Nigeria, boli or bole is roasted plantain, grilled and served with roasted fish, ground peanuts, and a hot palm oil sauce—a dish native to the Yoruba people and popular as an inexpensive midday meal. In West and Central Africa, including Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria, ripe fried plantain is called dodo, typically sliced diagonally before frying.