[Sca-cooks] RE: SC - bananas

[Decker, Terry D.]

I hadn't considered that possibility.

Plantains and bananas are both mentioned in Pliny and their migration into
the Middle East and Africa were probably similar.

We know when bananas were brought to the Caribbean because of Oviedo, but I
don't know about plantains.

Johnson's description is not complete enough to determine the species of
Musa and he doesn't mention whether he cooked the banana or not when he
tasted it.  The comparison to muskmelon suggests that he ate the fruit raw,
which in turn would suggest it was a banana as plantains are cooked.  If he
kept them hanging around for a month after they ripened, I would agree "the
pulp or meat was very soft and tender..."

Bear

> My question, I suppose, would be are they talking about plantains or
> bananas?  Perhaps they are talking of both, but they are
> different.  If he
> hung the bunch in the window and they lasted that long I
> would think he was
> talking about plantains.
>
> I was actually wondering about plantains this morning,
> thinking to ask the
> list if they may be period as I am thinking of making some
> for Cooks Guild
> on Saturday.
> Olwen