| Scientific name: | Musa |
| German name: | Banane |
| Other names: | Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, Musa × paradisiaca |
| Classification: | Zingiberales |
| Family: | Musaceae |
| Genus: | Bananas |
| Season: | all year |
Sooner or later everyone has probably asked himself this question before. All fruits initially grow downwards. Later they turn hormonally outwards and then upwards towards the sun, which leads to their known curvature.
Perfect yellow bananas are often considered particularly tasty and desirable. But flawless, yellow bananas, which look like painted bananas, often contain many poisons and pollutants, because they were treated a lot with sprays. Bananas with brownish pigments in their shells indicate chemical-free cultivation and taste much more aromatic!
Quantity per 100 grams
| Calories | 89 |
| Fat content | 0,33 g |
| Saturated fatty acids | 0,1 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 1 mg |
| Potassium | 358 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 22,84 g |
| Roughage | 2,6 g |
| Sugar | 12,23 g |
The banana tree (not to be confused with the banana tree) is considered one of the oldest cultivated plants on earth, as its occurrence was already discovered at the end of the Ice Age. Banana plants were first mentioned in Indian records in the 6th century BC. The crooked fruit did not reach Europe until 1885. In 1902 it also reached Germany. A kind of "banana boom" was triggered by Konrad Adenauer, who in 1957, when the European Economic Community was founded, imposed duty-free bananas.
In the meantime the banana has developed into a world record holder, as it not only has the largest leaves, but is also the fruit with the largest world trade volume. From a botanical point of view, the banana is one of the berry fruits and, because of its fully compostable skin, it is the cleanest fruit.
Bananas are now grown in Africa, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, the Canary Islands, Malaysia, South and Central America and Thailand. These countries should be called, but not banana republics, as this is a derogatory term.
Bananas are regarded as a healthy diet for the sick, and not only because they are very digestible, rich in potassium and nutritious. They are also very digestible and easy to digest, which ensures that they are a good diet for intestinal diseases and stomach complaints. Bananas are also considered to be a rich source of energy (e.g. during attacks of weakness), because no other fruit provides the body with such short-term and long-lasting energy. In the same way, mental blocks, stress and mood swings are positively influenced by the consumption of bananas, which is due to the high level of tryptophan (an amino acid), a lucky nerve messenger.
In addition, the enormous potassium and magnesium content promotes concentrated work as well as a reduction in symptoms of cramps. In the long term, regular consumption of bananas can reduce the risk of stroke and brain infarction.
However, bananas can lead to acute shortness of breath in latex allergy sufferers.
Although fruit or dessert bananas are usually freshly distorted, they can also be used in fruit salads or cold desserts. The sliced fruit can also be made into fruit chips by baking it in the oven.
Banana leaves can be processed into garnishes and tasty, exotic vegetables. They are usually grilled or fried in the countries of origin, but they can also be prepared like savoy cabbage.
The banana is the only fruit to contain all the nerve vitamins of the B complex in a rich form, which is otherwise only found in meat. With a vegetarian or vegan diet a regular consumption of bananas is recommended.
Bananas in German supermarkets differ from their originals in the cultivating countries not only in the taste, which was bred especially for the European palate, but also by the absence of the originally present kernels.
Bananas should be stored at 12-14 degrees Celsius for a short period of time and hanging loosely. Furthermore, they should not be stored together with pears or apples, as their flesh gets soft due to the excretion of ethylene. However, storage together with citrus fruits increases the storage time and the general condition of the bananas.
The post-ripening of green bananas can be accelerated by wrapping them in a damp cloth and storing them in a paper bag.