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Plantain
The plantain is a crop from the genus Musa. Its fruits are edible, and are generally used for cooking. This is different from the soft and sweet banana (which is often called "dessert banana"). "Dessert bananas" are more common to import in countries in the European Union or the United States.
The way certain species are called often show how they are used: "cooking plantain", "banana plantain", "beer banana", "bocadillo plantain" (the little one), etc. All members of the genus "Musa" are indigenous to the tropical region of Southeast Asia, including the Malay Archipelago and northern Australia.
Plantains are often firmer than dessert bananas; they also have less sugar. Dessert bananas are often eaten raw; plantains are usually cooked or otherwise processed before they are eaten. Plantains are a staple food in tropical regions, treated similarly to potatoes. They also have a similar taste.
Primary cultivation originated in Southeast Asia, secondary in West Africa. Other regions with Plantain crops include the Southern United States, the Caribbean, Central America, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Southern Brazil, the Canary Islands, Madeira, Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, Okinawa, Kerala and Taiwan. Farmers grow plantains as far north as Northern California and as far south as KwaZulu-Natal.
Each pseudostem of a plantain plant will flower only once. All the flowers grow at the end of its shoot in a large bunch made of multiple "hands" with individual "fingers" (the fruits). Only the first few hands will become fruits. In Vietnam the young male flower, at the end of the bunch, is used to make salad.
In Laos, the plantain flower is often eaten raw; it is added to a special kind of soup. Thoran is made in Kerala with the end of the bunch (called "Koompu" in Malayalam and Vazhaipoo in Tamil). It is said to be very healthy. You can fry it or boil it
Plantain leaves are used like plates in several dishes, including Hallaca from Venezuela, or south Indian Thali. In southern India, meals are traditionally served on a plantain leaf. The position of the different food items on the leaf is important, also for Hindu rituals.
The plantain leaves often add an aroma to the dish. In the Indian state of Kerala, a food preparation called "Ada" is made in plantain leaves. Plantain leaves are also used in making "Karimeen Pollichathu" in Kerala.
The leaves are usually easy to find in Venezuela. They are sold at grocery stores, and they can be bought on the open-air markets there . Leaves can be very big, over in length. They are also used to stimulate appetite, as they have a distinctive smell when hot food is placed on them.
In Nicaragua, leaves are used to wrap different kinds of food, such as Nacatamales,Vigoron and Vaho. In Peru they are often used to wrap the famous Tamale (Tamales). In Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia, these are usually used to wrap tamales before and while cooking, and they can be used to wrap any kind of seasoned meat while cooking to keep the flavor in. The plantain is the main food source of the Dominican Republic, and is used just as much as, if not more than, rice. Mangu and Sancocho are two dishes for which the plantain is very important.
The leaves are also dried and used to wrap corn dough before it is boiled to make Fanti kenkey, a fine Ghanaian dish eaten with ground pepper, onions, tomatoes and fish.
The plantain will only fruit once. After harvesting the fruit, the plantain plant can be cut and the layers peeled (like an onion) to get a cylinder shaped soft shoot. This can be chopped and first steamed, then fried with masala powder, to make an excellent dish. This dish is called "Posola" in Assamese and a distinct part of Assamese cuisine.
Staple food
A staple food is a food item that can be stored easily and eaten throughout the year. Different kinds of staple foods are used in different parts of the world.
The term means the common basis of the everyday diet in a place. Potatoes and rice are the most usual examples, but bread is "not" a staple food because it is a manufactured food which cannot be stored. Of course, it can always be made, since wheat "is" a staple food. Fruit is not a staple because it usually grows at a certain time of year. Meat is not a staple because it may not be available, or is expensive to buy. Green vegetables may be a staple in some countries, but not others. Foods which need special facilities, such as refrigeration are not staple foods.
Here are some examples of staple foods:
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou (, pinyin: zhèngzhōu) is the capital of Henan Province in the People's Republic of China. It is in the northcentral part of Henan.
Zhengzhou is on the southern bank of the Yellow River. It is one of the Eight Great Ancient Capitals of China. In 2010, 9,378,000 people lived there.
As of 2017, the prefecture-level city is divided into 6 urban districts, 5 county-level cities and 1 county. Because of rapid population growth, the subdivisions may change.
Braidwood, New South Wales
Braidwood () is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It is in the Palerang Shire. In 2006 there were 1,108 people living in Braidwood. It was used as a location for the movie Ned Kelly starring Mick Jagger in 1969.
Braidwood is on the Kings Highway which joins Canberra to Batemans Bay on the coast. It is about south west of Sydney. It is in a highland area near the headwaters of the Shoalhaven River.
Europen explorers, Kearns, Marsh and Packer, reached the area in 1822 and the settlers arrived soon after. The town was surveyed in 1839. Gold was discovered in 1851, and over the next 20 years the population grew to about 10,000.
The town was named after Dr Thomas Braidwood Wilson. He had been a surgeon on the ships taking convicts to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania). He was first given land in Van Diemen's Land in 1824, but changed it for land near Lake George in 1825. He was also given of land in the 'new country' on Monkittee and Flood creeks. In 1833 the government took back the western end of Wilson's land for a future village. They gave him more land at the eastern land in return. Wilson moved to the district in late 1836 with his wife and family. He became a community leader. He built the first courthouse in 1837-38. In 1840 Wilson asked the government to build a road from Braidwood to Huskisson for faster and cheaper shipping of wool to Sydney. Wilson and Col. John Mackenzie, supplied the materials and men to make the Braidwood to Nerriga section. In 1841 there were 141 people living at Braidwood Farm. Wilson lost all of his money because of a drought in the late 1830s. He died in November 1843. His land was sold for £2,000 to John Coghill, who now owned most of the land on the south, east and north of the town. Wilson still owned land on a hill north of the town and was buried there in 1843.
A memorial and large pine tree mark the site of Wilson's grave. The path to the grave is open to the public and is through a series of paddocks with gateway sculptures and large art pieces by local artists.
Bushrangers, Thomas and John Clarke, killed four policemen near Braidwood in 1867. There is a special monument for the police in the Braidwood cemetery.
Australia's first Royal Commission took place in Braidwood in 1867. It looked at the role of the police in trying to control bushrangers in the area. The Commission found the police were lazy, and in some cases had actually helped the bushrangers. They found that the superintendent of police did not have 'strict and proper control over his men.'
Because of the goldrush the banks and hotels in Braidwood were well built and made to last. It is these old heritage buildings that now attract visitors to the town. Other businesses in the area are sheep and cattle farming, and timber growing.