| Yes, We Have No Self-Peeling Red Bananas | |
by Judy Sobeloff, from the May 2004 newsletter
Now I’ve seen every kind of fruit
From every kind of tree/
But there’s one thing I'm very sure/
That I will never see a red banana/
A red banana’s as rare as rare can be/
Yeah, yeah, yeah/
A red banana/
A red banana that grows on a red banana tree/
A red banana tree….
— Tweenies songtime
In the early days of my research on red bananas, I read that they are also known as self-peeling bananas. Ah! I thought, hoping to corner the market on the latest time-saving device for that busy gal or guy who doesn’t need another cellphone or laptop. But, observing them alone and in bunches, I never saw a single spontaneous banana striptease. Even when I left the kitchen and installed a closed circuit camera, nothing. Before I could ask for my money back, I learned that the self-peeling red banana is an ornamental variety only. So if you see the bananas in your neighbor’s yard jumping out of their skins, don’t be going over there at night and eating them by flashlight.
O red banana, O Muse! The subject of art (“Still Life with Red Bananas,” oil on canvas, Herbert Philip Barnett) and at least one prizewinning novel-in-progress (by Smitha Parigi: “It’s more about the red bananas revolving around people’s lives than vice versa”), red bananas are similar to yellow bananas, only shorter, wider, and darker.
While the peel ranges from red to maroon/purple to almost black when very ripe, the banana inside is a pinkish or salmony yellow. Dani, in the Co-op’s produce department, described the flavor as “sweeter, with hints of raspberry,” adding that “they’re better when they look black and overripe.” Melissas.com describes the red banana as having “a more aromatic, vanilla flavor than its cousin the yellow banana.” According to thefruitpages.com, red bananas contain both more beta carotene and vitamin C than regular bananas.
They can be eaten raw like ye olde yellow banana, but are more often used in baking. I found them a little overly sweet for my liking uncooked, but when cooked, as in “Red Banana Brulee with Pink Grapefruit Fruit Salsa,” an easy, interesting, and visually pleasing dessert, they were incredibly tasty. See also Strawberry, Rhubarb, and Red Banana Crostata and Red Bananas with Cardamom over vanilla ice cream.
Apparently, five types of bananas can be found in grocery stores in the U.S.: regular yellow bananas, known as ‘Cavendish’ (who knew?); Dwarf or Finger bananas (“smaller, sweeter versions of the Cavendish”); apple bananas (short, plump bananas with an apple after-taste); red bananas; and plantains. According to banana giant Dole, bananas are “the most popular fruit in America,” with the average person eating 33 pounds of bananas a year (www.dole5aday.com).
Other fun facts about bananas:
The word ‘banana’ comes from the Arabic word for finger (waitrose.com).
If you freeze a banana in liquid nitrogen, you can use it to drive a nail.
According to the experts, bananas don’t grow on trees, but instead on “compacted, water-filled leaf stalks that grow up to 25 feet high” (produceoasis.com).
These plants are actually herbs related to the lily and orchid family, with leaves up to 30 feet long and stems weighing up to 100 pounds (www.dole5aday.com).
Red Banana Brulee With Pink Grapefruit Fruit Salsa (from Melissas.com)
6 medium red bananas
1 Tbsp. lemon juice or lime juice
1/4 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
4 sprigs fresh mint
3 large clementines or tangerines
1 medium pink grapefruit
1 medium Ataulfo mango, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. Orange Pekoe tea, brewed
2 Tbsp. toasted nuts
Peel the red bananas and split in half. Place in a flat glass dish, cut-side up. Combine the lemon juice and vanilla, brushing the bananas with the mixture. Generously spoon the brown sugar on the bananas.
Preheat broiler to high and place the sugar-topped bananas under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until they are well caramelized. Remove from the broiler and cool for 1 minute before removing from the pan.
For the fruit salsa: Peel the clementines and grapefruit. Cut between the membranes to separate the segments, and remove the seeds. Place the segments in a bowl and add the mango, honey, tea, and nuts. Mix well and chill.
To serve: Divide the fruit salsa into small bowls. Place two halves of banana brulee in each bowl, and garnish with fresh mint.
Judy Sobeloff believes in peeling bananas before eating.
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