A Jamaican friend in London was the first to feed me fried plantain. Ultimate comfort food in my view. And it always reminds me of big-hearted, hard working, Cynthia and all her kindnesses and generosity.
There are loads of different kinds of bananas. The common kind grow commercially are Cavendish variety. Here we get loads of others, short fat ones (like we in NZ used to get from Tonga when I was a kid), tiny thin ones we called Ladies Fingers, pink ones.... and plantain which are really big, quite straight, very thick skinned with really pronounced ribs lengthwise almost square in cross section with their skin on. They are most commonly available in UK where there are west African or Caribbean communities. Yes they are usually sold green in UK but then so are bananas. Their skin needs to be yellow and starting to develop black spots for them to be nice and sweet when cooked. They are really starchy and quite unpleasant raw.
Once cooked it tastes like banana but has much firmer texture. Uncooked they are pretty vile (starchy and not sweet, like the difference between eating maize and sweetcorn)
Hari OM mmmmmmmmmmm food nostaliga... I encountered this half a century back, when in Nigeria... oh my word - one of the tastiest sides/snacks!!! Those, some roasted maize and coconut water were favourite roadside refreshment... YAM xx
Banana is my favorite fruit because we get them all year round, but in season peaches give them a good run, tamarillos too, and pomegranate is catching up fast.....it's just that pomegranate, tamarillos and ripe peaches are all messy (but delicious)
If you are ever on the east coast try Ashburton shops to find some. Big Philippino community working in dairy farming in Canterbury, so food like that might be appearing shops that cater for their tastes.
That looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteIt is, cooked banana flavour with a really firm bite.
DeleteI've never tried it. Looks tempting.
ReplyDeleteIt's great snack food.
DeleteAre these the ones that look like green bananas in the shop? My local Asian store sometimes has them, labeled in Chinese, so I'm guessing.
ReplyDeleteThere are loads of different kinds of bananas. The common kind grow commercially are Cavendish variety. Here we get loads of others, short fat ones (like we in NZ used to get from Tonga when I was a kid), tiny thin ones we called Ladies Fingers, pink ones.... and plantain which are really big, quite straight, very thick skinned with really pronounced ribs lengthwise almost square in cross section with their skin on. They are most commonly available in UK where there are west African or Caribbean communities. Yes they are usually sold green in UK but then so are bananas. Their skin needs to be yellow and starting to develop black spots for them to be nice and sweet when cooked. They are really starchy and quite unpleasant raw.
DeleteIt looks like chopped banana. What does it taste like?
ReplyDeleteOnce cooked it tastes like banana but has much firmer texture. Uncooked they are pretty vile (starchy and not sweet, like the difference between eating maize and sweetcorn)
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeletemmmmmmmmmmm food nostaliga... I encountered this half a century back, when in Nigeria... oh my word - one of the tastiest sides/snacks!!! Those, some roasted maize and coconut water were favourite roadside refreshment... YAM xx
I have always associated them with Caribbean but you are right, they are probably old world and introduced there like the people were.
Deleteoh how I wish I could eat these or bananas. Banana is my favorite fruit
ReplyDeleteBanana is my favorite fruit because we get them all year round, but in season peaches give them a good run, tamarillos too, and pomegranate is catching up fast.....it's just that pomegranate, tamarillos and ripe peaches are all messy (but delicious)
DeleteI've never tried it but I've heard and read so much about it.
ReplyDeleteIf you are ever on the east coast try Ashburton shops to find some. Big Philippino community working in dairy farming in Canterbury, so food like that might be appearing shops that cater for their tastes.
DeleteNever had it. It looks like a big banana.
ReplyDeleteMight have to see if I can source it here and give it a go
There are bound to be plantains in Aus, you guys grow all kinds of bananas further north.
Delete