[Sca-cooks] RE: SC - bananas - long

[Cindy M. Renfrow]

>Was the banana listed in the first edition of the Herball or was it added in
>a later revision?  IIRC, the Herball was revised for a later edition and
>incorporated notes and occurrences from after the original publication. <snip>

If Johnson has put his indicators in the correct places, bananas were
listed in the 1st edition, along with 2 illustrations, *Musa Serapionis*
and *Musa Fructus*.

Gerard says "In the middest of the top among the leaues commeth forth a
soft and fungous stumpe, whereon do grow diuers apples in forme like a
small Cucumber, and of the same bignesse, couered with a thin rinde like
that of the Fig, of a yellow colour when they be ripe: the pulpe or
substance of the meate is like that of the Pompion, without either seeds,
stones, or kernels, in tast not greatly perceiued at the first, put
presently after it pleaseth, and entiseth a man to eat liberally thereof,
by a certaine entising sweetnes it yeelds: in which fruit, if it be cut
according to the length (saith myne Author) oblique, transuerse, or any
other way whatsoeuer, may be seen the shape and forme of a crosse, with a
man fastned thereto. My selfe haue seene the fruit, and cut it in pieces,
which was brought me from Aleppo [Syria] in pickle; the crosse I might
perceiue, as the forme of a spred-egle in the root of Ferne; but the man I
leaue to be sought for by those that haue better eyes and iudgment than my
selfe."

The fact that it turns yellow when it ripens, and that it seems to be being
eaten raw, leads me to believe it is the banana and not the plantain that
Gerard is describing.  Under vertues (see below) he does mention adding
ginger or other spice for those with cold constitutions.

Johnson then adds
"Aprill 10. 1633. my much honored friend ). Argent (now President of the
Colledge of Physitions of London) gaue me a plant he receiued from the
Bermuda's: the length of the stalke was some two foot; the thicknesse
thereof some seuen inches about, being crested, and full of a soft pith, so
that one might easily with a knife cut it asunder.  It was crooked a
little, or indented, so that each two or three inches space it put forth a
knot of some halfe inch thicknesse, and some inch in length, which
incompassed it morre than halfe about; and vpon each of these ioints or
knots, in two rankes one aboue another, grew the fruit, some twenty,
nieteene, eithteene, &c. mor or lesse, at each knot: for the branch I had,
contained nine knots or diuisions, and vpon the lowest knot grew twenty
[fruits], and vpon the vppermost fifteene.  The fruit which I receiued was
not ripe, but greene, each of them was about the bignesse of a large Beane;
the length of them some fiue inches, and the bredth some inch and halfe...
This stalke with the fruit thereon I hanged vp in my shop, were it became
ripe about the beginning of May, and lasted vntil Iune: the pulp or meat
was very soft and tender, and it did eate somewhat like a
Muske-Melon...This Plant is found in many places of Asia, Africke, and
America, especially in the hot regions: you may find frequent mention of it
amongst the sea voyages to the East and West Indies, by the name of
Plantaines, or Platanus, Bannanas, Bonnanas, Bouanas, Dauanas, Poco, &c.
Some (As our Author hath said) haue iudged it the forbidden fruit;
other-some, the Grapes brought to Moses out of the Holy-land."

Johnson has also added the figure Musae fructus exactior Icon, An exacter
figure of the Plantaine fruit.

Gerard also lists the place (Egypt, Cyprus, Syria, Tripolis, Canara, Decan
Guzarate, Bengala, East Indies), time, names ("It is called *Musa* by such
as trauell to Aleppo: by the Arabians, *Musa Maum*: In Syria, *Mose*: The
Grecians and Christians which inhabit Syria, and the Iewes also, suppose it
to be that tree of whose fruit Adam did taste; which others thinke to be a
ridiculous fable: of Pliny, *Opuntia*.  It is called in the East Indies (as
as Malauar where it also groweth) *Palan*: in Malayo, *Pican*: and in that
part of Africa which we call Ginny, *Bananas*: in English, Adams Apple
tree.") and temperature.  He gets some of his information from Dioscorides
and Serapio.

Of the Vertues, Gerard adds "The fruit hereof yeeldeth but little
nourishment: it is good for the heate of the breast, lungs, and bladder: it
stoppeth the liuer, and hurteth the stomacke if too much of it be eaten,
and procureth loosenesse in the belly: whereupon it is requisit for such as
are of a cold constitution, in the eating thereof to put vnto it a little
Ginger or other spice.


Cindy