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In
much of the southern hemisphere a good part of dinner is
made up of cooking banana, not in a pudding or cake, but
as a staple starch or main dish - whether crisply fried,
baked tender, formed into spicy fritters or dumpling -
like balls (kofta in India, fufu in Cuba), or simmered
with a garlicky coconut - chili sauce. |
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Northerners, just lately introduced to some of the
members of the Musa family (wich has been on earth
longer than mere mortals), have begun to discover the
banana's diversity, thanks to the Latin American,
Carribean, and Asian restaurants that have sprung up
throughout the country. |
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Dubbed plantain in
North America, this vegetable - banana (called banane -
légume in the French West Indies - where one type of
banana is called a fig!) can be eaten, and tastes
different, at every stage of development. |
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The interior color of
the fruit will remain creamy, yellowish, or lightly
pink. When the plantain's peel is green to yellow, the
flavor of the flesh is bland and its texture simply
starchy, the uses similar to those for a potato. |
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As the peel changes from
yellow - brown through black, plantain plays the role of
both fruit and vegetable, having a sweetness and banana
aroma, but keeping a firm shape when cooked. Only
experience can teach you which stages suit your taste,
and consequently how you wish to incorporate the
plantain in your meals. |
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Selection and Storage |
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What state of
ripeness you choose depends upon how you plan to cook
the fruit. Kept at room temperature, it will slowly
ripen through every phase and store for a considerable
time, as well. |
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Do not refrigerate
plantains unless the are at the stage you wish to use
them, or the will stop ripening. Even when ripe, they'll
hold for a bit; so unless you have a mass of fruit and a
heat wave, there's no reason to fill up the refrigerator
with them. Like bananas, plantains freeze well. When
sufficiently ripe, peel, wrap each tightly in plastic,
then freeze. |
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2005, Produce Emporium Corporation. All rights reserved.
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