Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-05
Table and Kitchen.
The Banana is the Potato Of the
Tropics.

taxes care or her own consider the banana,
| the Indian fruit of the tropics which forms
the staple nutrient food upon which the
| native inhabitants subsist
The hot, enervating climate conquers the
| most energetic spirit of labor, and, there
fore, to those born and reared with the
languorouS influences constituting part of
their makeup, this plant. which yields so
generously and readily to the various uses
of man, and contributes so largely and
with so little effort on his part to the hui
man wants and comforts, deserves to be
regarded with more than passing interest;
especially since our new possessions under
the tropic sun are likely to bring their
products more generally into our northern
markets.
The fruit is cheap. and being easily han
died, transported and productive every
month of the year, there is probably no eX-
aggeration in the statement made by a
large importer that the banana is the fruit
of the future"
Compared to Wheat and Potatoes.
No other plant yields so large a supply Of
nourishment according to space occupied
and attention required. 1t exceeds the po-
tato in ratio Of A to /, and a dozen plan
tains are calculated to furnish as much nu-
triment as a weeks supply of wheaton
bread. but chiefly In the form Of sugar and
starch.
Its constituent parts very closely resem-
fish to furnish proteids, patch Of bananas
few feet square will enable the native
West Indian to live very comfortably. and
when necessity requires will permit him to
perform reasonable amount of hard phys
ical labor.
Many Varieties of the Fruit.
One point we have not fully understood
Is that in adopting this fruit in our north
ern climate we must consider two things
Tha FRI, ~
ripened by artificial means. The banana
which is eaten raw by the natives, Is a
small variety that is not picked until per-
fectly ripe and will perish before it reaches
foreign market.
These, however, can be mashed into a
pulp and pressed into cakes forming sac
charine lOaves. They are also preserved by
cooking them in a clear strip. The larger
variety of plantain, which is the variety
generally sent north and selected by our
housewives when the skins are pale vel
low and without a fieck or blemish for eat
ing raw, simply on account of the attract
1veness, should be cooked to render them
perfectly wholesome and digestble.
For eating raw the banana must have
sufficient time for the pulp to develop from
the hard, acrid substance, chiefly imma-
ture starch. until all It's parts are neutral
lied into sweet, delicious Jelly, luscious
In flavor and little cloying to the appe-
tite II too many are eaten at one time.
The lemon has a decided affinity for the
banana and greatly improves its flavor
when the juice is added to the ripe fruit.
Manner Of Cooking.
If this fruit is to rival the beloved po-
tato on our tables 1t is necessary to study
new methods Of preparing 1t to serve
vegetable well as a fruit.
In the homeland Of the plantain II is
roasted or baked in the skins like potatoes,
sliced and fried in butter with powdered
sugar: fermented into wine, served in COM
pote and even as a beverage like coffee.
The banana meal fs much less nutritious
than the meal of grains in common use, but
is extensively used In place of cereal grains
In tropical countries. 1t requires the ad-
dition Of some legume or lean meat to fur
nish the heterogeneous material 1t lacks.
The unripe fruit Is chosen for drying and
converting into meal because 1t is filled
with starch. which when dried and baked
closely resembles bread. both in taste and
composition. While we may exchange
wheat for the banana, 1t would be sending
Goals to New Castle to ship white pota
toes to the tropics in order to give the ma
tives variety Of food elements.
Baked Bananas.
These are to serve as a vegetable instead
Of potatoes or PEAS with steak, broiled
chops, roast lamb, or broiled chicken.
Peel a strip Of skin from each banana
loosen the pulp from the rest of the skin,
but do not break 1t. Place the fruit In
a baking pan, skin side down. for each
banana melt two level tablespoonful Of
butter in two of water and pour over the
fruit; sprinkle with little salt and sugar
a few drops Of lemon juice and II served
with chicken a tiny pinch Of grated nut
meg. Bake until tender and well glazed.
Bananas in Syrup.
Put a pint of currant or strawberry juice
In ha lo%f
lemon juice. add one cup of sugar and let
boil up; then drop in a dozen small, peeled.
ripe bananas and simmer very gently for
twenty minutes. Lift the bananas out care
fully and boil the strip down until rather
thick; then pour over the fruit and serve
cold.
Fried Bananas.
Peel and cut each banana in two or three
strips, according to size. sprinkle with
little salt. lemon juice and allspice, then
dip into beaten egg, cover with fine crumbs
bread or wheat biscuit and fry a nice brown
In deep hot fat. Serve as an accompani-
ment to meat.
Banana Toast.
Chop some very ripe bananas very fine,
using a silver knife, season with a little
salt. add sugar and lemon Juice to suit the
taste Pour little hot cream over slices
Of toast or zwieback: spread the bananas
over the toast and serve at once.
Banana Fritters.
Select very ripe bananas for this purpose.
Pare three and cut them in small pieces.
Beat the yolks OF three eggs very light and
add to the banana and beat to a pulp. Then
add tablespoonful OF sugar, tablespoon
full Of butter. a teaspoonful Of lemon Juice.
little grated nutmeg, cup OF milk and one
and one-haH cups OF -four. or enough to
make batter thick enough to drop easily
from spoon. Stiff a teaspoonful Of baking
powder in the flour before mixing. Beat
the white Of the eggs to stiff froth and
fold into the batter. Drop from a spoon in
to hot fat and fry light brown Serve
with a tart fruit sauce
Banana Salad.
Peel and slice the bananas and sprinkle
with little salt. sugar and lemon Juice and
set on Ice for two hours. Cream together
half cup OF sugar and half cup of but
ter; when quite light colored whip in a
half cup Of sweet, rich cream flavor with
little nutmeg or grated orange peel and
pour over the bananas Serve in crisp
heads of lettuce.
Breading for Frying.