INTRODUCTION:

Musa paradisiaca, the plantain is a crop in the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana (which is sometimes called the dessert banana).

The population of North America was first introduced to the banana plantain, and in the United States and Europe "banana" generally refers to that variety. The word "banana" is often used (some would say incorrectly, although there is no formal botanical distinction between bananas and plantains) to describe other plantain varieties, and names may reflect local uses or characteristics of varieties: cooking plantain, banana plantain, beer banana, bocadillo plantain (the little one), etc.

All members of the genus Musa are indigenous to the tropical region of Southeast Asia, including the (redundant term) Malay Archipelago (modern Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines) and northern Australia.

Plantains tend to be firmer and lower in sugar content than dessert bananas. Bananas are most often eaten raw, while plantains usually require cooking or other processing, and are used either when green or under-ripe (and therefore starchy) or overripe (and therefore sweet). Plantains are a staple food in the tropical regions of the world, treated in much the same way as potatoes and with a similar neutral flavour and texture when the unripe fruit is cooked by steaming, boiling or frying.

Regions with Plantain crops include the Southern United States, the Caribbean, Central America, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Southern Brazil, the Canary Islands, Madeira, Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, Okinawa, and Taiwan. Farmers grow plantains as far north as Northern California and as far south as KwaZulu-Natal.

Plantains are in the genus Musa, and are mostly sterile triploid hybrids between the species Musa acuminata (A genome), and Musa balbisiana (B genome). Musa species are likely native to India and Southern Asia. It is assumed that the Portuguese Franciscan friars were responsible for the introduction of plantains from Africa to the Caribbean islands and other parts of the Americas.

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Monocots

(unranked): Commelinids

Order: Zingiberales

Family: Musaceae

Genus: Musa

Species: M. paradisiaca

Plantain flowers:

Each pseudostem of a plantain plant will flower only once, and all the flowers grow at the end of its shoot in a large bunch consisting of multiple hands with individual fingers (the fruits). Only the first few hands will become fruits. In Vietnam the young male flower, at the end of the bunch, is used in salad. In the cuisine of Laos, the plantain flower is typically eaten raw in vermicelli soups. Thoran is made in Kerala with the end of the bunch (called "Koompu" in Malayalam) and is considered to be highly nutritious.

Plantain leaves:

Lunch from Southern India served on a plantain leaf. See Image for extended descriptions.
Traditionally plantain leaves are used like plates in several dishes, such as Venezuelan Hallacas, while serving south Indian Thali or during sadya.

A traditional southern Indian meal is served on a plantain leaf with the position of the different food items on the leaf having a significant importance. They also have a religious significance in many Hindu rituals. They add a subtle but essential aroma to the dish. In the Indian state of Kerala, a food preparation called "Ada" is made in plantain leaves. Plantain leaves are also used in making "Karimeen Pollichathu" in Kerala.

The leaves are fairly widely available in grocery stores or open air markets in Venezuela and can exceed two meters in length. They are also used to stimulate appetite as a fragrant smell is given off when hot food is placed on top of the leaf. In Nicaragua they wrap Nacatamales, as well as Vigoron, Vaho and other dishes.

In Peru they are often used to wrap the famous Tamale (Tamales). In El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia, these are usually used to wrap tamales before and while cooking, and they can be used to wrap any kind of seasoned meat while cooking to keep the flavor in. The plantain is the main food source of the Dominican Republic, and is used just as much as, if not more than, rice. Mangu and Sancocho are two signature dishes that revolve around the plantain.

The leaves are also dried and used to wrap corn dough before it is boiled to make Fanti kenkey, a fine Ghanaian dish eaten with ground pepper, onions, tomatoes and fish.

Plantain leaves are similar to banana leaves but are larger and stronger, therefore reducing waste. They are lightly smoked over an open fire and this adds to their toughness, giving it improved storage properties and flavour. With plantain leaves there is a lot less disposal (pieces too small to use) than with banana leaves, which makes them a better choice.

Plantain shoot:

The plantain will only fruit once. After harvesting the fruit, the plantain plant can be cut and the layers peeled (like an onion) to get a cylinder shaped soft shoot. This can be chopped and first steamed, then fried with masala powder, to make an excellent dish. This dish is called Posola in Assamese and a distinct part of Assamese cuisine. In Kerala a thoran is made out of the shoot