In childhood, these juicy, delicate and fragrant fruits became part of fruit salads, the basis of the chewing gum taste, and the most coveted hotel from the grandmother. But in adulthood, we are ready for a new shock: it turns out that banana is a berry, the fruit of the largest grass in the world. Here is such an incompatible logic - the banana stalk reaches 10 m in height, up to 300 fruits ripen in clusters with a total weight of half a ton on one trunk.
If yellow bananas do not cause such a storm of joy as in the nineties, then red bananas are a curiosity and a pleasant surprise as a dessert. Their flesh is so tender that it does not tolerate transportation, and this is explained by the high cost of non-standard fruits.
Calorie content and the use of red bananas
While we are trying to add banana to the sweet table, many nationalities, such as the people of Indonesia and the Seychelles, use these fruits as a side dish, toasting them with seasonings, hot pepper and serving with meat, oysters and shrimps. Since banana contains pectin and vitamin B6, red bananas are especially rich in it, this fruit raises the mood and serves as a source of carbohydrates. One pulp contains about 300 mg of potassium, an important substance for maintaining the functioning of the heart muscle and fighting high blood pressure. The calorie content of one red banana is 90 calories with 0% fat. This is one and a half times more nutritious than potatoes, while more useful, and makes up 8% of the daily intake of carbohydrates. There are even special banana diets that are not recommended for people with increased heart stress.
Red bananas per 100 g of weight also contain 1 g of protein, which is important in
nutrition for athletes: it is enough to eat one fruit before training, and an energy charge is provided. Also, one banana contains about 2% of the daily value of vitamin A and up to 15% - C, 2% iron and 21 g of healthy fruit sugar.
Red bananas are considered a low-calorie dish that is hypoallergenic for children over the age of 2 years - banana puree can be added to baby food for the smallest, but in limited quantities.
When to buy and with what to eat red bananas ?
Thanks to world internationalization and export development, red
tropical fruits are available on store shelves 365 days a year. But the most acceptable period for harvesting is considered to be summer-autumn. The red color is due to the increased carotene content: the banana, the photo of which is presented here, is more likely brown than red. But it is worth buying fruits whose skin has a greenish tint - it is better to let them ripen at room temperature.
In cooking, red bananas are used in the same way as yellow ones, with the exception that their flesh is softer and even sweeter. They are eaten raw, consumed in fruit salads. You can make sweet sandwiches with bananas, using peanut butter as the basis , and put Nutella in half with bananas as a pancake filling or sprinkle them with chocolate chips.
Bananas are also a popular ingredient in milk shakes and healthy smoothies. The most popular combination is strawberries with a banana, the taste is somewhat reminiscent of chewing gum “Love is ...”. Adherents of exotic cuisine can try to fry red bananas with the addition of coconut oil and thyme - homemade will certainly be surprised by an unusual side dish.