Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-22
Bananas.

From the Alta California.
Ordinarily in this country bananas are eaten
raw. but in the tropical countries, while the
natives eat them in like fashion. more deli
cate, and, it is said, more healthful mode of
eating them is i'll vogue. The soft. ripe fruit,
beaten to a cream, with a sufficiency of Anon
tillado sherry, forms a very delightful appe-
tlzer. and Is the favorite way of eating the
banana IN certain parts of the West Indies and
on the African coast. Taken in moderation on
hrst rising IN the morning bananas are said to
be preventative of health. and in this respect
are in marked contrast wi tn other tropical fruits
which are detrimental. rather than otherwise,
to continued good health. An Intoxicating
drink is made from the banana and on account
OF its astringent properties is of considerable
medicinal value. In Africa. and probably in
other places also, the banana. and the kindred
tree, the plantaln. are. In very large measure,
| the sole dependence for the food supply of the
natives. The banana. when ripe, contains "a
per cent water. OF the 26 remaining parts. 20
| are sugar and gluten or fiesh-forming sub
| stance. 1t is not in itself a perfect food. but
requires the addition of some more nitrogen
GUS material, as lean meat The pulp of the
| banana, but more often of the plantain, is Oft
! times squeezed through q sieve and formed
into loaves, which, when ripe, will keep a very
| long time. In the dried state it has a resem-
| blance to bread both in taste and composition
but the ripened pulp is saccharine and not fari-
naceou5.
The fruit, however, Of the banana is the least
valuable part of the tree. The fiber, which in
some countries is permitted to go to waste, is of
value. Throughout Central America and the
| continent of Africa it is used, with only the
preparation of drying, for sewing threads and
| fishing nets. The threads are Of silky fneness,
and it was thought that as an article of COM
MERGE it would pay to import in large quaint
ties. firm in Bradford, England, having got
possession OF some of the fiber. wove a quantity
| of handkerchiefs from it that for delicacy of
| finish and strength were unexceled. With a
| silky sheen and remarkably fine WEB such arti-
| cles would have obtained ready market, but
| it was found that the mode of obtaining the
| fiber by the natives was too slow. and until
some machine was invented TO strip the fiber
quickly the small quantity would be of practi-
cally no use.
At Panama the rarest and most delicious of
| the banana species has its home. Small and
| rudy in color, it is known vulgarly as the
| thumb banana. and on account of its delicate
| flavor it is much priced even there. 1t does not
| bear transportation well, although it may often
| be found in the markets of Chicago and New
York. Crossing the isthmus by the line that
| connects Panama with Aspinwall the natives of
| the villages along the route make a habit of
| coming to the train decked in primitive fashion.
| with garlands of flowers around their necks
and flowers in their hair, and disposing of fruit
| Here the thumb banana may be eaten in its
| perfection.