Banana chip

Abanana chip(sometimes calledbanana crisp) is a deep-fried or dried, generally crispy slice ofbanana. It is usually made from firmer, starchier banana varieties ("cooking bananas" orplantains) like thesabaandNendrancultivars. It can be sweet or savory and can be covered withsugar,honey, salt, or various spices.
Banana chips are the only processed banana product with significant international trade. The main exporter of banana chips worldwide is thePhilippines. Export markets for banana chips are also established inThailandandIndonesia.
Fried banana chips are usually produced from under-ripe banana slicesdeep-friedinsunflower oilorcoconut oil. These chips are dry (like potato chips), contain about 4% water (table), and can be salted, spiced, sugar-coated, or jaggery-coated. Sometimesbanana flavoringis added. If ripe dessert bananas are used, they come out soggy. They are used for desserts, not for dry chips.
Some varieties of banana chips can be produced using onlyfood dehydration. Banana slices that are only dehydrated are not dark yellow and crunchy but rather are brown, leathery, and chewy. They are very sweet and have an intense banana flavor. These are ideally made from fully ripe bananas. Another kind is made by baking in an oven, although this process may not result in the same intense banana flavor.
Dried banana chips are 4% water, 58%carbohydrates, 34%fat, and 2%protein. In a 100-gram reference amount, dried banana chips supply 520caloriesand are a rich source (20% or more of theDaily Value, DV) ofmagnesium(21% DV) andvitamin B6(20% DV), with moderate amounts ofiron,copper, andpotassium(10% to 11% DV) (table). Othermicronutrientsare in negligible amounts of the Daily Value (see nutrition table).
ThePhilippinesis, by far, the main exporter of banana chips worldwide. It exports large quantities to more than 30 countries, including theUnited States,Canada, theEuropean Union,Japan,Australia,South Korea,China, andRussia. The annual revenue for banana chip exports in the Philippines was approximately $35 million in 2009.There are many variants of banana chips in the Philippines, from traditional dishes likepinasugboto modern versions coated incheese powder. Banana chips in the Philippines are made predominantly fromsabaorcardava bananas, with the latter preferred for commercial banana chips due to their larger sizes. For domestic production and home cooking, they are made directly by deep-frying fresh sliced bananas. For commercial banana chips for the export market, the main method of production is throughosmotic dehydrationfollowed bydeep fryingat 375 °F (191 °C) incoconut oilfor 1 minute. The resulting chips are distinctively light-colored.
Fried plantainchips, known asnenthra-kaaya oopperiorvazhaykka upperiorupperiinKerala, are fried incoconut oil.Both ripe and unripe plantains are used for this type of chip preparation. The chips may be coated withmasalaorjaggeryto form spicy and sweet variations. Plain banana and plantain chips are calledpachkkaya varuthathuandkaya upperi, respectively; sweet jaggery-banana chips are calledsharkara upperiorsharkkara varatty.Sharkara varattyis more expensive thanupperi. It is an integral part of the traditional Kerala meal calledsadyaserved during weddings and festivals, such asOnam.
Banana is a native plant ofMaritime Southeast Asiaand the people of the archipelago have developed many uses of it for ages, including as a snack. InIndonesia, banana chip is calledkripik pisang, and is considered a variant of crispykripik(traditional chip or crisp).Kripik pisangis a popular crispy snack and can be commonly found in Indonesia, although it seems to be more prevalent in Java and Sumatra. InNorth Maluku, popular withpisang mulu bebekis a duck mouth-shaped banana chip. It is served withsambal, friedpeanut, and friedanchovy.InLampung, banana chips is combined withchocolatepowder calledkripik pisang coklat.
Usually unripe green bananas are thinly sliced, soaked in lime and salt water solution, and deep fried as chips.Unripe banana is well suited fordeep fryingdue to its low content of water and sugar while having high starch content.Pisang gorengis another fried banana snack, although it is not thinly sliced and serves as a sweet hot snack.
The chips are often part ofmuesliandnutmixes. Other chips, such aspatacones, aresalty.
Similar chips calledchifleare made fromplantains, the family of fruit that bananas come from. In tropical American cultures, all bananas are considered plantains, but not all plantains are bananas. These deep-fried plantain chips are also quite popular in the southeastern part of Mexico, especially in the state ofTabasco.