The Banana​—A Remarkable Fruit

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN HONDURAS

THE Greeks and the Arabs called it “a remarkable fruit tree.” In 327 B.C.E., it was found in India by the armies of Alexander the Great. According to an old story, the sages of India rested in its shade and partook of its fruit. So it has been called “the fruit of the wise men.” What is it? Why, the banana!

But how did the banana get from Asia to the Caribbean? Well, early Arab traders carried roots of the banana plant from Asia to the east coast of Africa. In 1482, Portuguese explorers discovered the banana plant growing there and took some roots and its African name, banana, to Portuguese colonies in the Canary Islands. The next step was a journey across the Atlantic to the New World. That came in 1516, a few years after the voyages of Columbus. Spanish missionaries took banana plants to islands and the tropical mainland of the Caribbean. Thus, this remarkable fruit plant had to travel halfway around the world to reach Central and South America.

Reportedly, in 1690 the banana was first taken from the Caribbean Islands to New England. Puritans boiled the strange fruit and did not like it. In South and Central American countries, as well as in other tropical lands, however, millions of people boil raw green bananas and eat them with delight.

Banana Plantations

Between 1870 and 1880, the possibility of exporting bananas began to interest various European and North American merchants. They formed companies and established banana plantations, called fincas. For this purpose, workers and engineers had to clear jungles, build roads, and establish railroad and communication systems. Villages were built with housing, schools, and even hospitals for the workers and their families. Steamship lines were set up to transport bananas around the world. As the industry grew, more land in banana-​growing countries was bought by companies.

Today, Latin-​American lands supply more than 90 percent of the bananas eaten in North America. Brazil is the leading exporter. Honduras is number six on the list, exporting more than two billion pounds of bananas yearly.

How Bananas Grow

The banana plant is not a tree. It has no wood fibers. Rather, it is a gigantic herb that looks like a palm tree. Climate and soil determine the growth and size of the plant. Bananas grow best in hot, damp climates and thrive in rich, sandy loam soil that has good drainage. For the best growth, the temperature should not go below 70 degrees Fahrenheit [20° C.] for any length of time.

To start a crop, you have to plant cuttings, called suckers, cut from the underground stems of mature plants. Holes are dug a foot [0.3 m] deep and 18 feet [5 m] apart. In three to four weeks, green shoots appear, and tightly rolled green leaves sprout and unroll as they grow. Banana plants grow very fast, about an inch [3 cm] a day. After ten months, a plant is full-​grown and resembles a palm tree, standing 10 to 20 feet [3 to 6 m] high.

On a full-​grown plant, a large bud with little purple leaves grows from leaves that wrap into a bundle. Then clusters of small flowers appear. A plant produces only one bunch, which weighs from 60 to 100 pounds [30 to 50 kg] and has between 9 and 16 clusters of bananas. Each cluster, called a hand, produces from 10 to 20 bananas. Thus, bananas are called fingers.

Bananas first grow downward, toward the ground, then out and up, forming the well-​known banana curve. What about nourishment and protection during growth? In time a worker comes and removes the bud so that the bananas receive all the energy from the plant. Then he covers the fruit with a polyethylene bag to keep out insects. Since bananas grow upward and become very heavy, the plant is tied to the base of neighboring plants to prevent winds or the weight of the fruit from toppling it. Finally, a colored ribbon is tied to the cover to indicate when the fruit will be ready for harvest.

Every day, planes fly over the plantation to spray the leaves of the plants. This protects them from three main diseases. One is Panama disease, in which fungus destroys some plants. But these are replaced by types that can resist it. Another is Mako disease, caused by bacteria. It is controlled by removing affected plants and any flowers that attract certain disease-​spreading insects. Then there is Sigatoka disease, which destroys plant leaves but does not harm the bananas if chemical sprays are used soon enough. Bananas need a great amount of water, provided by irrigation and by high-​pressure sprayer systems. It may be added that the plantation is kept free of grass and weeds.

From the Plantation to Your Table

At the time the color of the ribbon indicates that the bananas are ready for harvest, they are first measured to make sure that they are the right size for cutting. Another notable fact is that bananas are never left to ripen on the plant, even for local consumption. Why is this? Because they would lose their flavor. Before deciding when to harvest a crop, the distance for exporting and the type of transportation must be considered. Then a worker cuts off the bunches with his machete, and they are sent to the packing plant. And what is done to the banana plant after the harvest? It is cut down to fertilize the new plants that will grow in its place.

At the packing plant, the bananas are washed, and any bruised fruit is removed, to be eaten by the workers and their families. Small bananas will be used for flavoring and for baby food. The best bananas are packed 40 pounds [18 kg] to a box and sent abroad by refrigerated trains and ships.

On the dock, the quality of the fruit is checked, and its temperature is taken. Once cut, the fruit must stay green until it reaches the market. Since the banana is perishable, it must be picked, shipped, and sold in the stores within 10 to 20 days. The fruit is kept cool at 53 to 56 degrees Fahrenheit [12°-13° C.] to keep it from ripening. With modern transportation, bananas can be sent from Central and South America to as far away as Canada and Europe without any problem.

Practical Value and Nutrition

There are a hundred or more varieties of bananas. The dwarf banana is the common kind, exported primarily to Europe, Canada, and the United States. Smaller kinds, with a skin too thin for export, can be found in abundance in Honduras. These are known as the manzana (Apple) and the Red Jamaica.

Banana leaves contain useful fibers and are used for various purposes in tropical countries. When visiting an open market, one often sees the leaves piled up in the street to be sold for wrapping hot tamales, a very popular meal in various lands.

Many people in Honduras like to eat plantain with their meals. A delicious dish on the north coast of Honduras is called machuca. To prepare it, the unripe plantain is mashed in a mortar, spices are added, and the mixture is cooked with crabs in coconut oil.

In the United States, about 11 billion bananas are eaten yearly. A great quantity go to Canada and to Britain and other countries of Europe. What nutritional benefits are there in eating this fruit? Bananas are rich in vitamins A and C, carbohydrates, phosphorus, and potassium.

There are so many uses for the banana! It is just right in snacks, cereals, fruit cocktails, pies, cakes, and, of course, the renowned banana split. But the next time you eat a ripe banana, think about its outstanding qualities. This fruit has its own package. It is rich in vitamins and minerals. Yes, and the banana may have come halfway around the world to get to your table.