 True Name/ Common Name:
Banana - Musa _____ the two main species are acuminate and balbisiana. Description of Look and Flavor:
The plants have a thick center trunk, formed from the repeated overlapping of dried and hardened leaves, that grows from 3-9 meters and as many as 15 meters in old age. It is easily mistaken for a tree, but technically bananas are an herb that are related to lilies, orchids, and palms. A real stem, called the inflorescence, shoots up through the center of the dried leaf casings and provides the source of nutrients and the base for new growth of flowers and fruit. Bananas are berries that are typically extended and tubular, sometimes crescent shaped as well. They always begin green and ripen off the tree to either deep red or yellow from 2 ½ inches to 12inches in length. Growth Period/ Harvest –
The warmer the better for bananas. Some people even try to plant them as close as they can to heated buildings for added warmth and wind protection at night. The harvest season for bananas spans the calendar so you never have to be without these golden beauties. Nutritional Info –
It is said that bananas contain everything a human needs nutritionally. They even have all 8 of the amino acids our body needs but is not capable of producing. On top of that they have three types of sugar (sucrose, fructose, and glucose) which, coupled with lots of fiber, provides sustained and consistent energy with no crash later. Just 2 bananas give you everything you need for a strenuous 90-minute workout doing anything. Other Uses –
Vitamin B6, which is found in bananas, is an excellent regulator of blood sugar and can also help with mood swings. When you eat a banana, you not only replenish all the vital nutrients in your body, you also heighten the acuity and alertness of your eyes, which compounds your ability to comprehend and retain new information. Bananas are great for your body, especially if you need a little help recovering from last night’s abuse. One of the quickest and most effective hangover remedies is a banana milkshake sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, along with the honey, replenishes blood sugar that gets depleted by alcohol. The milk hydrates you and makes the drink creamy and delicious. History –
Bananas are originally from the Indo-Malaysian area and were recorded in certain texts in 600 B.C. The oldest plantation we know of dates back to 200 A.D. China, but there is nothing to suggest that bananas hadn’t been grown on purpose for any length of time before that. Myths and Legends –
There is a Hawaiian legend about a boy named Maui who tried to slow down the Sun’s path across the sky and extend the length of day. Maui went to steal the bananas that his grandmother fed the sun for breakfast every morning and this way fatigue the sun with malnourishment, slowing him down. Maui’s grandmother told him that this wouldn’t work. He would have to weave a net from his sister’s hair, with 16 holes for each of the sun’s legs, and capture the sun at first light. She also gave him a club to aid him in the struggle that would surely ensue. Maui was successful at snaring the sun and, while battling, had to break 8 of the sun’s 16 legs before it finally conceded to slow down and allow the workers to get more done each day.
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