This can occur when the first bananas turn yellow, or earlier if the bananas are to be used for cooking, rather than eating while ripe. The trunk is then chopped up and placed as necessary mulch around the base of the clump. Before mulching, one might seek out the banana's heart, which is a round cylindrical white tube with a smooth shiny cover. This lies inside the layers of bark fiber. It can be cooked and is like celery, with a texture and taste similar to bamboo shoots.
Fruit varies in size, shape, color, quality and quantity.
The pulp may be white, yellow or shades of pink. The raw mature fruit is a sugar and an easily digested source of carbohydrate. The cooked fruit becomes a starch. Green unripe bananas can be boiled or baked in their skins, and are usually eaten as a starch, replacing potatoes, bread or taro . Surplus ripe bananas can be peeled and frozen for later use.