Bananas are among the Germans' favorite varieties when it comes to fruit. Every year around 16 kilograms of it are consumed per capita. No wonder, because the bananas taste heavenly sweet and contain important nutrients that are very beneficial for health.
What you should know about the banana
Bananas are among the world's oldest cultivated fruits. They have been grown for 2000 years. The original home of the bananas is in Asia, but the bananas available in Germany now come mainly from Central and South America, the West Indies and the Canary Islands.
They are only available as imported goods, but are available all year round. The banana plants only bear fruit once, after which they die. However, the plants develop saplings. These can bear new fruits after eight to 15 months. During the ripening of the yellow fruit bananas, the starch they contain is converted into sugar. Therefore, ripe bananas taste very sweet, while the not quite ripe bananas have a more vegetable taste. The more yellow the banana, the sweeter and ripe it is. When buying, you should make sure that they are firm and have no black spots.
The small brown spots that appear on the skin during ripening do not indicate that it is an inferior fruit, but that the flesh is particularly sweet. The bananas only become crooked during growth: they grow on the trunk of the banana plant. The tufts on the trunk initially grow hanging down and protected from light by the large bracts. The leaves fall off later and the bananas stretch out towards the sun. Now they grow crooked.
Importance to health
The bananas are very important in some tropical countries, as they are often the most important source of nutrients for the population, which is especially true in rural areas. They are fried, boiled or made into flour.
They replace bread, potatoes, rice and cereals. The banana is particularly suitable for people who suffer from diarrhea, as it has a constipating effect. This fruit helps just as many people with heartburn or upset stomachs. They regulate digestion and are easily digestible. It also does a good job after overcoming illnesses, because it supplies the body with important nutrients that have been lost. In addition, because of the abundant potassium it contains, the banana can lower high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.
The psyche is also positively influenced thanks to the messenger substance serotonin, which puts you in a good mood. Hence, bananas are a natural good remedy for depression. Due to their mineral content, the vitamins and fructose they contain, they are a source of energy. For this reason, they are also very popular with athletes. Furthermore, the bananas are well suited for those with too high uric acid levels and gout.
Ingredients & nutritional values
Bananas provide various B vitamins as well as vitamins A, C and E, plenty of potassium and magnesium, but little sodium. When very ripe, they also contain around 20 percent fructose, that is, carbohydrates that quickly go into the blood. With less ripe bananas, it's more starch.
Thanks to the optimal combination of sugar, starch and fiber, the bananas fill you up quickly and, above all, sustainably, and yet have a relatively low calorie content. Other valuable ingredients are niacin and folic acid. Thanks to the low proportion of acids, they are very digestible.
Intolerances & allergies
Bananas should always be eaten when ripe, otherwise abdominal pain can occur. This is because green, unripe bananas are high in cellulose. The intestine cannot process this. Unripe bananas, on the other hand, can be cooked well.
Diabetics should eat light yellow bananas as they contain more starch than sugar, which means that blood sugar levels rise more slowly and more evenly. A food allergy to the banana is rather rare. Some people suffer from a cross allergy to latex. In this case, the allergy sufferers are initially allergic to latex and then the banana allergy occurs. Other possible cross allergens include watermelon, chestnut, pumpkin, peach, avocado, tangerine and strawberry.
Shopping & kitchen tips
When buying bananas, small brown spots on the yellow peel are harmless, because this is by no means a sign of poor quality, but a typical sign of very ripe bananas. However, the tropical fruit is almost always sold when the skin is still very light yellow.
The brown bananas also lose important vitamins. Bananas belong to the climacteric species that ripen after harvest. The fruits are therefore always harvested green. The subsequent transport takes place in refrigerated ships, as a temperature below 13 degrees Celsius stops natural ripening. When it comes to storage, it should be noted that the bananas don't like it too cold, because then they will get stained and taste bland. Ideally, they are stored at room temperature and not near apples and tomatoes.
Ethylene releases both, which causes the bananas to ripen. Ripe fruits last about five days under ideal conditions. If the banana is drizzled with a little lemon juice, it can be avoided that it discolors in the air.
Preparation tips
Bananas are a valuable snack in between, but they are also popular in milkshakes, yogurts, muesli, quarks and fruit salads. As dessert, the banana can be sprinkled with the delicious brown sugar, drizzled with orange juice, baked and flambéed with rum. Banana nectar also refines many delicious cocktails. In Germany and Europe, the exotic products are often used in desserts, but also more and more often in dishes with an Asian touch.
The banana also goes well with curry dishes, in omelets or as a banana cake. The banana is also suitable for savory and sweet fillings and is, for example, added to dumpling dough. They can also be fried in the batter. The baked bananas are also very popular. For this dessert, the bananas are halved and placed in a baking dish. The banana halves are then coated with melted butter. Then almonds and sugar are sprinkled on top. The baking dish is put in the oven for around ten minutes.
Bananas are also very popular with babies and toddlers and are perfect for conjuring up porridge or healthy, child-friendly delicacies. Further processing forms of bananas are banana flour, powder, flakes, chips, syrup and liqueur. It shows very clearly how versatile the bananas can be.
