Going Bananas

We often joke about how bananas in the global north are not really bananas at all. Often grown and picked with long shipping hours in mind, they are large, perfectly yellow, and taste like flavored cotton or clay. Those with soft skin or black spots are rejected, leaving out any possibility for a tasty banana.


The red bananas of Palawan.

I am not such a fan of bananas (even the small local good ones), but I love the saba variety. These are large, fat, thick ones, that are very filling and are a common mid-day snack for us.

Although you can eat them raw, they are usually cooked. Sometimes they are boiled and eaten just like that, or then mixed with some syrup and shaved ice. Sometimes they are coated in sugar and grilled (or barcecued) to make banana-cue. My favorite is turon, which is like a deep-fried banana spring roll. Sometimes they make it with jackfruit slices. In any case, it's pretty superb.


Turon and banana-cue.


Turon.


Banana-cue for me.


Eating some turon off a papaya leaf.