Banana Heart Recipes
By: Devri Burdick
Description and Rationale
The banana heart/bud is a native resource in the Philippines. It has survived very well in the Philippines because it requires the heat and humidity that the Philippines provides. The banana heart comes from the ‘heart’ of the banana tree (hence the name of the vegetable). Since there are many, many banana trees here in the Philippines, the banana hearts are easy to find. That is why I chose this topic, because it is abundant and should be used more often.
What is the banana heart’s impact on the local environment? How can it be used to help the everyday person live a healthier life? Can they really improve the way that the poorer people live? What are the different ways that the banana heart can be used in cooking, growing, etc…? Are there any dangers involved in using banana hearts as a resource? How is its presence affecting the people’s livelihood who depend on these resources for their livelihood? Are there legitimate reasons why such plentiful resources aren’t used more often?
Might there be new ways to use the banana heart for food and livelihood? People often take for granted that they have such a plentiful resource that they can use for their own good. What are the reasons for this disregard? How much is based on experience and scientific observations and how much is based on superstition or assumption? If beneficial uses of the banana heart are found, such as food, fertilizer, livestock feed, etc, what would be the best way(s) to communicate the findings to the people and barangays around these banana tree areas?
The initial purpose of this project will be to research the uses and importance of the banana heart found all throughout the Philippines, through a search of the literature as well as firsthand observations and interviews with people living banana tree areas (interview people who know good and cheap recipes and how they can help). These initial findings will help guide the experimental phase, where key variables in the banana hearts importance and usefulness will be further explored.
It is hoped that new uses of the previously unwanted banana hearts might help improve the livelihood of the people living throughout the Philippines through a more informed understanding of an abundant (and delicious) resource.
main table of contents...
Biology
Common Names and Synonyms
The banana heart (puso ng saging) does not have a scientific name, but rather the tree itself does, it is called Musa acuminate. The banana tree is commonly known as ‘plantain’. The main reason this vegetable is called the banana heart/bud is that it seems to be the central part, or “heart” of the banana tree.
Classification
Regular name: Banana (banana tree)
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta (flowering plants)
Class: Liliopsida (seed plants that produce an embryo)
Order: Zingiberales (seed plants)
Family: Musaceae (treelike tropical Asian herbs)
Genus: Musa (bananas)
Species: M. acuminate (dwarf banana)
There are many different types of bananas that have been found, some known and others unknown. Some of these are: the 'Horse' banana' (coarse-looking, used in cooking), Lady Finger' (superior in taste), 'Apple' or 'Manzana' (apple aftertaste), Plantains (also cooking bananas), 'Cavendish', 'Ice Cream' (creamier and smooth), and others.
main table of contents...
Morphology and Physical Description
External Anatomy:
The banana tree is an herbaceous plant (non-woody plants) and the reason is that the tree is made up of leaf sheaths that are fit tightly together in a spiral pattern. Though it is called a "tree”, it is actually a giant herb.
In the picture: there are three main parts of a banana tree: the midrib (center spine of the leaf), the pseudostem (made up of leaf sheaths; center of the tree), and the corm (where the tree grows from). The roots of a banana tree can go about 5 feet deep and grow laterally around 15-16 feet. When the tree is first growing, the leaves are complete but are easily torn by the wind. Throughout its life the tree can have up to 40 leaves and it bears fruit through the terminal inflorescence (flowering stalk). Its ultimate color is a dark green with some splotches of purple.
Internal Anatomy
The tree itself is a juicy, succulent stem made mostly of leaves. The flowers, however, are different: they are purple buds that, when open, have little white flowers inside that are sweet and tube-shaped. They are covered by little bracts that usually are purple and dark red. The female flowers are just small, finger-shaped flowers that are green. When there is a group of them together, they are called “hands”; when there are lots of hands, their weight causes the stock to turn upside down. After this, the bananas start sprouting.
The banana fruit is actually considered a berry and they change from green to yellow or sometimes red, depending on their type. Bananas are an oblong shape and usually have a smooth outer peeling. Inside is the soft, sweet fruit, which is often a cream color. Mostly every banana looks the same except for the lengths but wild bananas have a black, rough inside and some seeds. Since this fruit is generally seedless it is only every so often (when cross-pollinated with wild bananas) there will be a banana with seeds in it.
main table of contents...
Getting Food
The best place for banana plants to grow is on a flat area with soft, deep, and fertile soil. The soil should be high in organic matter with a pH of about 5-7. If it is wanted to have the plant grow healthier, just put at least 1 cup of ammonium sulfate (watered in). Apply substance for the first 3-4months of growth for best results.
This plant grows very well in drained and healthy soil that is deep and soft. Try not to have a constant flow of water over the banana plant because they cannot survive in conditions that are over-hydrated. When these plants are well taken care of they can produce fruits all year-round.
In some places, banana trees have to be kept safe from the cold air. However, in the case of the Philippines, there are no worries. When the leaves of the tree are brown that is when they need to be pruned. Pruning is very important because it takes away any hindrances that could stop the trees growth. Suckers (growths on the tree>still part of the tree) are an example. These can be easily cut off and eventually used as mulch/compost.
main table of contents...
Reproduction
Life Cycle: Once the tree is fully-grown (can reach its full height of 6-25 ft in one year), the banana heart comes out from the top of the tree and begins growing downward. As it grows further down the different banana blossoms (male) make the female blossoms into banana fruits. With the “hands” (clusters of ten banana fruit) becoming more ripe, 10-12 months down the road they will be ready to be harvested. As soon as they are harvested the main plant is cut away, letting the daughter plant become the main plant and the cycle (called shooting) starts over again.
The oldest suckers that grow up around the bottom of the plant become the next main plant, and they replace it after its cycle; this is called succession. Once this happens, the plant starts growing and unfurling, making the tree taller. The trees are usually pollinated through small animals such as bats and lizards.
>The first flowers that come out are the females (the ovary is beneath the flower), and the “male flowers are on the end of the flower spike of the same plant.”
main table of contents...
Environmental Factors
Competition: with the various living conditions of the banana tree, there is bound to be competition. Since it is not a tree, but rather an herb, weeds and grasses compete with the banana plant for nutrients, and more. Other than those few things there is not much other competition.
Pests: there is, however, a big problem with pests. Since banana trees live in dirty places, there are also parasites that are attracted there and use the tree as a home. Some examples would be: the Pseudostem Borer, Rhizome Weevil, Banana Aphid, Fruit and Leaf Scarring Beetle, and the Burrowing Nematode. All these pests burrow into or feed on the banana tree and inject diseases, or destroy the trunk and leaves, or destroy/disease the fruits and flowers. None of these lives in a symbiotic relationship with the banana tree. There actually have not been many symbiotic relationships between the tree and bugs or animals besides the bats and lizards and other pollination assistants. [*to learn more about how to get rid of these pests got to: http://ficciagroindia.com/production-guidelines/fruits/bananas/Pests.html]
main table of contents...
Origin and Distribution
The banana trees are native to South East Asia and have been cultivated there for thousands of years. The banana trees survive there so well and are found there because of the humidity. The bananas are mostly grown in areas such as Australia, Morocco, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, the Canary Islands, Philippines, south Florida, etc... This is because the cold kills them so they need to be put in warm areas where they can be prosperous. So they were moved to these places.
main table of contents...
Importance to People
The main and most important thing about bananas and banana trees are that they are edible. The banana fruit itself is high in nutrients and is very healthy (there are various, delicious recipes that are made from the banana and tree). The other parts of the banana tree (such as the banana heart, shoot, and sprouts) can be eaten in various ways. For example in parts of Africa, India, and tropical America, plantains are an important source of food.
Another way these plants are important to people are that people can use the banana leaves to: wrap food in (to boil, roast, steam, etc); make crafts with (put designs on them, decorate them/with them); make plates and placemats; carriers (dirt, mud, meat, etc); and the classic leaves add flavor to the food.
The last thing that they all can be used for that is very important and helpful is: mulch/compost. They can be pruned and the parts that were cut off can be tossed into a mulch box and later used as fertilizer. Same with banana peels, stems, sprouts, and other unwanted parts.
main table of contents...
Survivability and Endangered Status
These trees are in no way endangered, even with the abundance of pests and humans cutting them down. The reason is because, first, there are so many of them and they reproduce and grow so quickly. Second, because they are one of the few trees that bloom and grow year-round it’s hard to get rid of them and so they just keep on doing what they do. They also live in the Philippines which is the perfect place for them because they can find warm, dirty places that allow them to thrive greatly. Lastly, because they are so useful, people cannot wipe them out. Much of those resources would be gone and people would lose their jobs. Overall, they help the people tremendously.
main table of contents...
Potential Solutions
The banana trees have very many uses and possibilities. It has been found while researching that banana leaves can make very efficient carriers (for dirt, food, etc), and people can also use them as crafts. It is also seen that every part of the tree can be used as fine compost/mulch. Another more important possibility is that most of the banana tree is used for food. Banana trees are very useful but there are a few set backs or disadvantages. Some of these disadvantages would be that the banana tree parts (leaves and such) would fall apart and wouldn’t last. The parts could also attract insects or even be rotten or have parasites that can make people very sick. Below are the 4 possibilities with an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages for each. Along with each possibility is a current status report of progress made to date on each of the possibilities.
Possibility 1 -Carriers
One possibility of the banana tree is that they can be carriers. Carrying dirt, food, rice, and other substances like these. In the Philippines, people can find many places that use banana leaves for various carriers; such as restaurants, in Biology class some people have used leaves to plant seeds in, and more.
Advantages:
- Banana leaves are efficient in carrying a lot of various substances. With dirt people can wrap leaves around the dirt and make little planters to put seeds in. The more seeds planted and the more planters made means that people will grow more flowers, trees, and shrubs that can be sold. This is a very good way of gaining money for the poorer people who do not have any jobs.
- Many outside restaurants use banana leaf plates and ‘bowls’ to hold a range of different meals. The leaves are disposable and cost nothing. They are not only helpful to the restaurant in giving an abundant amount of ‘plate and bowls’, they also help the customer by giving them an easy to eat meal that is cheap and delicious. Many people have found that when food is wrapped in the banana leaves, the food is flavored by the leaves; a very unique and delectable taste.
Disadvantages:
1. The bad thing about wrapping leaves around things to carry them is that they often can’t hold together very well. The leaves sometimes split and break which causes a loss in the substance that it is carrying and also creates a big mess.
main table of contents...
Possibility 2 -Crafts and Household uses
Another possibility of using banana tree parts would be to use the leaves as crafts. Many people use these leaves as designs for plates, cups, and many more items made from pottery and other substances.
Advantages:
- The banana plant can be used, itself, as the crafts. People can cut them into many different shapes and sizes and scrape designs into them. Banana leaves can hold scraped in designs well and that is why they are often more preferred over other leaves. The reason is that they are bigger and nicer looking and they also are easier to write and draw on.
- One of the most common things found, involving the banana tree, is decoration and pottery ideas. People not only in the Philippines, but all over the world make pottery in the shape of banana trees and leaves as plates, bowls, pitchers, cups, etc. They are so popular because of their unique shape and tropical feeling. People use this pottery, as well as actual plants, to decorate their homes, front yards, and gardens.
Disadvantages:
Though there are good qualities in the pottery, the actual plants themselves, however, have a few flaws. The problems are that no matter how hard anyone tries, they can not keep the plant from going bad and have to constantly replace them. Also,
- When people work with un-potted plants they know that the plants don’t last very long unless they are kept in the right kind of place. The banana plant lasts a very short time compared to other regular plants. So the down side is that people must continually replace them or they will have dead leaves and such instead.
main table of contents...
Possibility 3 -Mulch/Compost for Gardens
It is universally known that bananas, and all the parts of the tree that come with it, are the perfect mulch. The reason it is perfect is because the tree is non-woody and so it deteriorates a lot faster. The thing that most people don’t know about the banana tree and its compost uses, is that every single part of the tree can be used for this purpose. Not only can people use every part of the tree, but it is very efficient in enriching the plants around and decomposing the unwanted items.
The only problem is the huge mess it takes just to make a banana tree compost pile; also, it attracts unwanted creatures to it and makes a disgusting thing to deal with.
Advantages:
- If it can be shown that the banana tree mulch acts as a growth enhancer, the production level of homegrown plants can be improved, along with people’s livelihood. With this in mind people can start recycling the dead banana trees and such, around them to make a better compost pile and place to live.
- Being able to use the banana tree as mulch will provide sufficient fertilizer that is cheap and easy to handle.
Disadvantages:
- The problem with having this particular tree as compost causes animals to come around. They smell the banana plant and start to dig through everything and destroy the work that people have done.
- The other big problem with this is that, whenever there is a compost pile the place around it is bound to be full of sickly and diseased insects, as well as causing everything to be dumpy and not nice to have around. If people happen to let their children roam around and then they get bitten by the insects, the kids could get foul diseases and parasites.
Possibility 4 -Food Items and Ways to Cook the Banana Heart
The best use/possibility for the banana tree is through food. People can practically eat any part of the tree. There are many different ways to cook the banana tree parts. The food is not only very easy to find in the market or wherever, it is also very delicious and healthy.
It is hard to find bad things about food besides the fact that the food could be rotten or have food poisoning. The main thing though, is to watch out for parasites in the food and make sure the plant it good and clean before cooking with it.
Advantages:
- The banana fruit itself is high in potassium and is very healthy. There are many, many recipes that have the banana fruit in them (ex: banana bread, banana muffins, fried bananas…). The banana heart also has many recipes that are healthy and cheap that people often use. The thing about all these recipes is that it proves how much the banana is used. Many people count on the banana to help keep them form going hungry just because there are so many and they can be used in so many different ways.
Disadvantages:
1. The only possible disadvantage to the food is that there could be lots of bugs that have made the tree rotten. This could cause many sicknesses and deaths if the disease from the bacteria and parasites is bad enough. The only real reason that the people would get sick though, is if the food is not properly cleaned and taken care of.
POSSIBLE FUTURE DIRECTIONS
The way that this project could help enhance many lives in the future is that it will teach people of the incredible uses of the banana tree. These uses could feed hungry people who don’t have enough money to buy the food they need. They could also help the people grow crops better and also plant seed for their crop better. With the variety of uses of the banana tree, there is a belief that this plant could save many people in many ways.
main table of contents...
Bibliography
>“Banana Heart Burger.” FoodBuzz. February 14, 2009.
http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/831231-banana-heart-burger
>“Banana Heart Kinilaw.” Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate. March 11, 2009.
http://www.applepiepatispate.com/filipino/banana-hearts-kinilaw/
>“Banana.” Websters Universal College Dictionary. New York. 1997. Random House, Inc. Pg. 60.
>“Cooking Recipes.” Banana.com. March 11, 2009.
http://www.banana.com/recipes.html
>Delos Reyes, R. 2003, “How to Make Banana Heart Salad.” EHOW, How to Do Just About Everything. March 11, 2009.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2198682_banana-heart-salad.html
>Dolera, Nonie. “Oops…Don’t Throw Those Weeds Away!” Copywrite 2002. Pg. 67.
>“Ginataang puso ng saging (banana bud/blossom in coconut cream).” Home Cooking Rocks. March 11, 2009.
if (window.runOnloadHook) runOnloadHook(); http://pinoycook.net/ginataang-puso-ng-saging-banana-budblossom-in-coconut-cream/
>Regalado, Q. Amie. Personal Interview. May 3, 2009.
>Soli Deo Gloria. “Banana Heart (Bud) in Coconut Cream (Ginataang Puso ng Saging).” Heart and Hearth. June 10, 2008.
http://heartandhearth.blogspot.com/2008/06/banana-heart-bud-in-coconut-cream.html
main table of contents...
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.