I like my bananas green and on my corn flakes with a sprinkle of sugar and or dark chocolate.
Regarding nutrition .... When a banana changes color not only is the flavor changing but also its nutritional value. Green for instance, is packed with starch, as enzymes have yet to break it down into simple sugars. Eating a banana at this stage is good for diabetics and contains bacteria that promotes colon health.
The much sweeter variety, yellow bananas, have had their starch broken down into simple sugars making them a quick source of energy. As far as health benefits go, yellow bananas contain antioxidants and anti-cancer properties not available in their green counterparts.
Last but not least comes bananas with dark spots or brown patches. These have been shown to contain Tumor Necrosis which help fight malignant cells in the body. The darker the spots on a banana the better it is at fighting these cells, boosting your immune system.
No matter when you choose to eat your banana you should know its a great and healthy choice. One thing to keep in mind though is that as a banana ripens, the micronutrients contained therin reduce or get lost. So maybe don't wait too long!
Honi79BSt Albans, Hertfordshire, England UK33 posts
Very interesting. In Kenya mostly diet is made of banana. Matoke thats mashed bananas served with stew. We have more than 40 variety of bananas. There is this particular one called 'muraru' it gets ripe very sweet but it remains green. Sweet bananas 'gacukari' is very short fat but gets very yellow and very sweet u can think sugar has been added to it. Thats another types thats i havent seen anywhere that get seeds inside and hard. We have particular once only fit for cooking. In central provence of Kenya banana before colonization had been our staple food. Who would tell it had all this benefits
Honi79B: Very interesting. In Kenya mostly diet is made of banana. Matoke thats mashed bananas served with stew. We have more than 40 variety of bananas. There is this particular one called 'muraru' it gets ripe very sweet but it remains green. Sweet bananas 'gacukari' is very short fat but gets very yellow and very sweet u can think sugar has been added to it. Thats another types thats i havent seen anywhere that get seeds inside and hard. We have particular once only fit for cooking. In central provence of Kenya banana before colonization had been our staple food. Who would tell it had all this benefits
I still remember having ndizi mbichi, I loved it as a child (I may have spelt incorrectly), we had several banana trees in our garden which I used to climb to look across Nairobi City, so even today I always buy the greenest I can find and eat as they ripen to a dark yellow, Chinese bananas are hard and not so sweet to my taste, but the small ones from the Philippines remind me of my childhood every time I eat them
Sometimes I just go with my cravings, sometimes I deliberately seek out foods with certain properties. I didn't know naff bananas had the cancer curing properties.
My favorite bananas are "Apple Bananas." They're more golden than "Williams Bananas," which is the kind "Chiquita Bananas" sells. They have a nice tangy flavour to them, kinda like green apples.
I like cooking with green "Apple Bananas;" they taste better than "Plantains;" but all bananas taste good when you fry them green. Slice them, fry them in a little oil, and season them with soy sauce and chili peppers (broke da mouth!)
Pateles are a Puerto Rican equivalent to tamales, made with grated green bananas, instead of corn meal. For pateles, "Chinese Bananas" are best.
"Cuban Bananas" are red, and taste almost as good as "Apple Bananas."
For banana pancakes and banana bread, over-ripe bananas work best; and "Apple Banana" pancakes are the kind of "Banana Pancakes," Jack Johnson sings about.
Bananas are my favorite fruit on earth! I love them all; and all those kinds of bananas grow in my yard. :)
Here in Puerto Rico bananas and especially plantains are a staple. The green plantains are sliced thick then fried till soft, they are then mashed and put back in the pan to brown. They are called tostones and with a little salt are so good they are addictive. Ripe plantains are also cooked and used but are sweet and go well with spiced meat or just boiled and eaten alone.
Most indigenous bananas are the short and fat variety but we also have the red type. We also have a small and delicious yellow type that is not quite as sweet as regular but much preferred. They also use green plantains for mofongo ( yes I know it sounds weird but it is very good ) and also for pastellies . If you come here especially around Navidad you will be treated to what I'm talking about. I also have a suspicion that you will enjoy it.
Grouchyoldfart: Here in Puerto Rico bananas and especially plantains are a staple. The green plantains are sliced thick then fried till soft, they are then mashed and put back in the pan to brown. They are called tostones and with a little salt are so good they are addictive. Ripe plantains are also cooked and used but are sweet and go well with spiced meat or just boiled and eaten alone.
Most indigenous bananas are the short and fat variety but we also have the red type. We also have a small and delicious yellow type that is not quite as sweet as regular but much preferred. They also use green plantains for mofongo ( yes I know it sounds weird but it is very good ) and also for pastellies . If you come here especially around Navidad you will be treated to what I'm talking about. I also have a suspicion that you will enjoy it.
Yay pastellies!!!
I grow Chinese bananas; because my neighbor's wife makes them better than anyone on the island.
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What color banana do you like?(Vote Below)
Regarding nutrition ....
When a banana changes color not only is the flavor changing but also its nutritional value. Green for instance, is packed with starch, as enzymes have yet to break it down into simple sugars. Eating a banana at this stage is good for diabetics and contains bacteria that promotes colon health.
The much sweeter variety, yellow bananas, have had their starch broken down into simple sugars making them a quick source of energy. As far as health benefits go, yellow bananas contain antioxidants and anti-cancer properties not available in their green counterparts.
Last but not least comes bananas with dark spots or brown patches. These have been shown to contain Tumor Necrosis which help fight malignant cells in the body. The darker the spots on a banana the better it is at fighting these cells, boosting your immune system.
No matter when you choose to eat your banana you should know its a great and healthy choice. One thing to keep in mind though is that as a banana ripens, the micronutrients contained therin reduce or get lost. So maybe don't wait too long!