All about the banana
When you begin a weight loss diet and the first fruit day comes, you most probably take comfort in banana. No wonder, since it is one of the highest calorie fruits and it is a basic type of food for more than 400 million people.
It may be inconceivable for us that banana (Musa acuminata) is such a basic foodstuff, but many people eat up to one kilo of it because of its high energy content (105 kcal, 441 kJ/100 grams).
Banana it the best source of vitamin B out of all fruits, but it also contains phosphorus, potassium, iron and calcium too, along with vitamins A and C and also a kind of enzyme that is needed to digest glucose. due to its essential nutrients, mashed banana is recommended from early childhood, even for babies - but it is also very useful for adults, for example because the enzymes in it enhance brain activity.
Banana originally comes from Malaysia, but it spread to several subtropical countries in the world. Banana plants are generally 5-6 meters high, although some of them reach 15 meters. There are more than 1600 kinds of banana throughout the world, which differ mostly in terms of colour and sugar content.
Banana is one of the few types of fruit which always are a safe choice: both yellow and ripened and green versions last for a long time (1-4 weeks tops) and gets softer. Brown and over-ripened banana, however, is best used as an ingredient or basis of shakes.
Although we Hungarians eat banana mostly by itself or in the form of shakes, fried banana in coating is extremely popular is many countries, traditionally served with maple syrup or honey.