Tropical Ingredients

Banana

Musa spp.

One of the world's most important food crops

6 min read·Updated August 12, 2026
Growing regions: Across the tropical world
Other names: Kesel (Sinhala), Vazhai (Tamil), Pisang (Malay/Indonesian), Kela (Hindi), Chiao (Thai), Chuối (Vietnamese)
Family Musaceae Best for Desserts, chips, curries, fritters, salads

Description

Bananas are one of the world's most important food crops — and one of the most varied. While most people are familiar with the sweet dessert banana, the Musa genus encompasses a vast spectrum from starchy plantains used as cooking bananas to delicate sweet varieties eaten fresh. The banana "tree" is not actually a tree but the world's largest herbaceous flowering plant.

The banana blossom (banana flower or banana heart) is the large, teardrop-shaped, purple-red flower that hangs at the end of a bunch of bananas. It consists of layers of bracts that peel back to reveal rows of tiny flowers and the immature fruit. Both the blossom and the inner bracts are edible and widely used in South and Southeast Asian cooking.

Banana chips — thinly sliced and fried or dried banana — are one of the most popular snack foods across the tropics and a significant commercial product.

Origin & History

Bananas were first domesticated in Papua New Guinea and Southeast Asia approximately 7,000–10,000 years ago, making them one of the oldest cultivated crops. From there, they spread to the Philippines, India, and across the Indian Ocean to East Africa and eventually to the Americas via Portuguese and Spanish colonizers in the 16th century.

In Sri Lanka, wild and cultivated bananas have been part of the diet for millennia. The island is home to numerous indigenous varieties found nowhere else. Banana holds deep cultural significance — it is offered in Buddhist temples, used in Ayurvedic medicine, and appears in virtually every Sri Lankan meal in some form.

The Cavendish banana that dominates global trade today represents only a tiny fraction of banana diversity. Sri Lanka alone has over 40 named banana varieties, many of which are used specifically for cooking, blossom harvesting, or fermentation.

Uses

Culinary

Banana Fruit

  • Fresh eating: Sweet dessert varieties (Ambon, Kolikuttu, Ambul)
  • Cooking: Starchier varieties (Alu, Anamalu, Puvalu) boiled, fried, or added to curries
  • Dried: Banana chips (savory or sweet), banana flour
  • Fermented: Banana beer and wine in East Africa; banana vinegar
  • Desserts: Banana fritters (kele aBanana), banana pudding, banana in coconut milk (kesel dosi)

Banana Blossom

  • Curries: A classic Sri Lankan preparation — sliced blossom cooked in coconut milk with turmeric and chili
  • Salads: Shredded raw or blanched blossom in Thai and Vietnamese salads (yam hua plee, nột chuối)
  • Fritters: Battered and deep-fried
  • Stir-fries: With garlic, chili, and soy sauce
  • Boiled: Boiled and dressed with coconut and lime as a side dish

Banana Chips

  • Thinly sliced green banana, fried or baked
  • Seasoned with salt, chili, or spices
  • A popular snack across South and Southeast Asia

Banana Stem (Inner Core)

  • Sliced and used in curries and stir-fries
  • High fiber content; valued in Ayurvedic cooking

Banana Leaves

  • Used as natural food wrapping for steaming and grilling
  • Impart a subtle sweet aroma to food
  • Traditional plate/serving surface across South and Southeast Asia

Other Uses

  • Textile: Banana fiber (from the pseudostem) is used to make cloth, rope, and paper
  • Medicinal: Various parts used in Ayurvedic and traditional medicine for digestive issues, wound healing, and diabetes management
  • Agricultural: Banana leaves and pseudostems used as mulch and animal feed
  • Religious/cultural: Banana leaves and fruits are essential in Hindu and Buddhist ceremonies across South and Southeast Asia

Nutritional Benefits

Banana Fruit (per 100g, raw)

  • Potassium: 358mg (10% DV) — heart health, blood pressure
  • Vitamin B6: 0.4mg (20% DV) — brain function, metabolism
  • Vitamin C: 8.7mg — immune support
  • Magnesium: 27mg — muscle and nerve function
  • Dietary fiber: 2.6g
  • Natural sugars: Glucose, fructose, sucrose (quick energy)
  • Calories: ~89 kcal

Banana Blossom (per 100g)

  • Very low calorie (~23 kcal)
  • Rich in dietary fiber
  • Good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and folate
  • Contains antioxidants including flavonoids and tannins
  • Traditionally believed to help regulate menstrual cycles and manage blood sugar (limited clinical evidence)

Banana Chips (per 100g, fried)

  • ~520 kcal (energy-dense due to oil absorption)
  • Good source of potassium and B vitamins
  • Higher in fat and calories than fresh banana

How to Prepare Banana Blossom

  1. Remove outer bracts: Peel back the tough, dark purple outer layers until you reach the pale, tender inner layers.
  2. Extract the heart: Cut the inner core (the "heart") into quarters or slice thinly.
  3. Prevent oxidation: Immediately place cut pieces in acidulated water (water with lemon juice or vinegar) — banana blossom oxidizes and turns brown very quickly.
  4. Remove florets: Along the way, you'll find small, immature bananas (florets) between the bracts. These are edible — remove the tough outer skin of each floret.
  5. Boil or blanch: Boil for 10–15 minutes to soften and reduce bitterness. Drain well.
  6. Cook: Add to curries, salads, stir-fries, or fritters.
Tips: Wear gloves when handling banana blossom — the sap is sticky and can stain hands. The inner bracts are edible and have a delicate, artichoke-like flavor. Banana blossom is sometimes called "banana heart" in markets. In Sri Lanka, banana blossom curry (malu ambulthiyal) is a beloved home-cooked dish.

Recipes

Sri Lankan Varieties

Sweet/Dessert Bananas

  • Ambon (Kolikuttu) — small, very sweet; the most popular eating banana
  • Anamalu — long, slender, sweet; excellent for cooking when ripe
  • Puvalu (Ash Plantain) — used for chips and cooking
  • Ambul — sour banana; used in curries and traditional medicine
  • Seeni Kesel (Sugar Banana) — very sweet, small; popular snack

Cooking Bananas/Plantains

  • Alu — starchy; boiled or fried
  • Ela Alu — large plantain; used for chips
  • Kital Kesel — used specifically for banana blossom production

Fun Facts

  • Bananas are berries (botanically), but strawberries are not
  • The inside of a banana peel can relieve itching from bug bites (folk remedy)
  • A cluster of bananas is called a "hand" and a single banana is called a "finger"
  • Bananas are naturally slightly radioactive due to their potassium content (the "Banana Equivalent Dose" is a real unit of measurement)
  • The Cavendish banana replaced the Gros Michel in global trade after Panama disease wiped out Gros Michel plantations in the 1950s — and the Cavendish is now facing a similar threat from Tropical Race 4
  • In Sri Lanka, there is a banana variety for every occasion — over 40 named cultivars with distinct flavors, textures, and uses
  • Banana leaves are biodegradable and make excellent natural food packaging — a zero-waste alternative to plastic