Bananas: origin, cultivation and storage

For decades, a sweet fruit enriched in the yellow cloak throughout the year our fruit bowls: the banana. From baby legs on into old age bananas accompany us through life. Sick and top athletes alike benefit from the high nutritional value of bananas. The banana is known to us as small, light snack. But what else we know about the banana? And the question of why the banana is crooked, is probably one of the greatest mysteries! 

Banana: Musa - Banana Dessert & Co


An old legend from the 5th century BC, sent to us from the southern Indian space that Adam was not deceived by Eve with an apple, but with a banana. Inspired by this story of the scientist Carl Linnaeus missed the Latin name Musa paradisiaca in the 18th century the banana. Can also be found in our fruit baskets Musa paradisiaca the, which is also called banana dessert or fruit banana.

The banana and its origin

The banana originated from Asia. Your trip around the world began in the 6th century: The first task was to conquer Egypt, then Africa. From here, the bananas were brought through West Africa to Central and South America. Even in tropical / sub-tropical climate of the Caribbean banana quickly became home. However, for the major export item, the banana fruit was only with the invention of refrigeration systems. So-called "banana boat" brought the exotic banana from about 1900 on our counters.
Therefore, the bananas are curved

A warm, humid climate is a prerequisite of a successful plantation cultivation. Need to grow bananas rich nutrients from the soil. What grows out of this ground, looks like a tree, but is a perennial that is approximately between three and nine meters high. The perennial banana develops from leaves that wrap themselves around each other. The plant receives as a "false stem". After seven months, the banana gets a large, mostly red blossom that hangs down. Only the female flowers bear bananas like fingers look (Arabic banan = finger) and at first, as the blossom, grow down. Since bananas but toward the sun, they writhe while growing more and more towards the light - the banana is crooked.

One year it takes until the bananas are ripe and can be harvested. The mother plant is chopped off. However, it was already taken care of offspring. From their rootstock - the rhizome - a new sapling for a new banana has developed. About 20 years, a plantation be kept. Then the land is exhausted by the high nutrient removal, usually a new plantation is now created.
 

Bananas: Season and storage

As already noted, the dessert banana has year-round season. The banana is unripe and green harvested and packed in bundles, the so-called banana hands. Before dispatch, the banana fruit has yet fallen a dipping bath that helps to fungal attack and stowaways (small animals) away. In our latitudes arrived, the bananas are ripened in large halls maturity. An optimum selling state they reach when the stalk and the tip are still slightly green.

This not quite ripe bananas ripen quickly after at room temperature. You will be sensitive to pressure. Indication of the initial "freckles" the banana is fully ripe and should come as quickly as possible for human consumption. Bananas have lost nothing in the fridge, where it is too cold, the temperature must not be below 12 ° C. However, the after-ripening may be a little delayed in a cooler area. However, green tire purchased bananas from too slow, you can put the other paradise fruit, so an apple to bananas. The same effect is achieved by wrapping the banana in newspaper. To enjoy the banana at room temperature, then it develops their flavor best.

It should not be eaten the end of the banana, which is in the mostly black colored tip. Here germs and residues of pesticides can still anfinden. Also, to avoid bananas with matte greyish shell of purchase.
The banana is a real bundle of energy

As an easily digestible fruit the possibilities of a dessert banana are almost limitless. Bananas are the ideal food supplement for babies, the sick and the elderly. Athletes swear by the banana as a power bar in practical packaging. The strength of the unripe fruit is converted by the maturation process to fruit, grape and cane sugar, thus the proportion of the carbohydrate fructose as an energy supplier is very high. Other ingredients of banana are the high content of minerals such as Potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. And the vitamins A, B, C and E are present. The ingredients of banana have their balance and diversity also have a healing effect, mainly in the gastrointestinal area. The banana seems basic, and thus prevents gastric hyperacidity.

The high content of dietary fiber gives us the banana a long-lasting feeling of satiety. Combined with a low calorie content (94/100g) it is therefore practically in the fight against annoying love handles. The pectins contained in the banana sources in the digestive process to fill the stomach and let the chyme stay longer there. Distressing food cravings can be avoided in diets so.

And finally the dessert banana should also be counted as mood makers, but is excited by the ingredient tryptophan in the brain's production of the hormone serotonin, similar to chocolate. So we brought the banana even a smile.
Ingredients of Banana

     Minerals: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium
     Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, K.
     Niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin
     Trace elements: iron, fluorine, iodine, zinc, copper, manganese
     Other: water, cholesterol, fatty acids, bread units, purine
     Nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates
     Energy: a banana weighing about 120-130g has about 132 kcal / 552 kn.

  On the next page you will find the best recipes with bananas!