Seasons/Availability
Burro bananas are available year round.
Current Facts
Favorite fruits in America, in order, are bananas, apples, seedless grapes and oranges. About thirty-nine percent of retail produce sales consists of fruit.
Description/Taste
A rich vivid dark green and chubbier than a common banana, the ripe burro banana turns a deep yellow and has characteristic black spots. The creamy white to yellowish flesh is soft on the outside and has a slightly crisp texture in the center. This special banana variety offers a mildly sweet flavor with subtle lemon overtones. Quicker to ripen than common bananas, always allow this almost square-shaped banana to become fully ripe before eating. A dual-purpose variety, enjoy fresh when fully ripe or use green like a plantain.
Nutritional Value
Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and potassium. Low in fat and sodium, this fruit is cholesterol-free and a source of fiber. An average-sized banana has about 95 calories. Some medications for controlling blood pressure deplete the body's storage of potassium. One banana each day restores the balance of potassium. Five daily servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended for lowering the chances of cancer. A recent study found eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.
Applications
Popular served as a dessert, the ripe burro banana is a delicious addition to fruit salads or may be enjoyed simply eaten out of hand. Just peel and enjoy. Overripe bananas make excellent breads, cookies, muffins and cakes. Cooked when green, the burro develops a starchy consistency. Ripe slices make an attractive edible garnish. Add its superb lemony flavor and smooth texture to cocktails, malts, shakes and smoothies. To delay ripening, refrigerate. To hasten ripening, place in a paper bag; keep at room temperature. To freeze, peel and store in plastic bags no more than six months.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Buddha named the banana plant to be the symbol of the futility of earthly possessions. There is no fertilization in the banana plant as their flowers are sterile. As a popular Asian snack, bananas are battered, fried or baked in their skins over hot coals. Many parts of Southeast Asia enjoy the favored banana cooked with rice flour dough or glutinous rice and served with coconut cream. Also a banana delight and sold as a confection, they love it sliced and sun-dried. A member of the lily and orchid family, there are some four hundred varieties of the banana. Serotonin and norepinephrine present in the banana are believed to help relieve mental depression. A study conducted by the University of California shows that the risk of a stroke is reduced by nearly 40 percent when just one banana is eaten each day.
Geography/History
Hailing from Mexico and also called chunky banana, the burro banana is especially popular in the Philippines. Very tropical in appearance, the burro banana plant is vigorous and produces hardy wind-resistant foliage. Growing ten to twelve feet tall, this banana plant especially does well in Florida. Burro bananas are also known as Orinoco, bluggoe, horse, hog and largo. Central America, Mexico and the United States are major suppliers to the marketplace.
Featured Recipes
Recipes that include Burro Bananas. One
is easiest, three is harder.
