To continue the grocery shopping theme…
Why is it that of the almost 1000 varieties of bananas grown in the world, grocery stores here in el norte mostly only sell the Cavendish? Sheesh, even the smallest mercados in Oaxaca often have at least four varieties and sometimes more (depending on the season). After all, there are eight types of bananas cultivated in Mexico. The states of Chiapas (35%), Tabasco (25%), and Veracruz (13%), are the major producers, followed by Michoacán (6.5%) and Jalisco (4.5%), with Guerrero (3%) and Oaxaca (3%) bringing up the rear.
Bananas outside of the mercado in San Pablo Villa de Mitla, Oaxaca – November 2016
Did you know that banana plants are not trees? They are an herb and their “trunks” are made of overlapping leaves. As for the origin of the word “banana,” it comes from the Arabic, banan, which means finger. Thus, it makes perfect sense that the cluster of bananas growing on “tree” is called a hand. (For more banana facts, check out All about bananas.)
Banana “tree” outside Las Huamuches restaurant — between Santo Tomás Jalieza & San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca – February 2017
Now we come to the “heart” of the matter — the astonishing flower of the banana. Given its resemblance in color and shape, it’s also known as a heart and is a show-stopper for anyone who has never before seen one. It is often used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking, especially in curries, and a friend from El Salvador told me in his home country, the flowers are baked in the oven and eaten. Apparently, according to this website, banana hearts are good for most everything that ails you. Alas, while Mexico exports la flor de plátano, Moisés Molina, representative of Mexico’s Regional Association of Independent Producers and Banana Traders, lamented in 2000 that it was a pity they were consumed in China but not Mexico.
Banana flower in San Andrés Huayapam, Oaxaca – December 2016
For those in the USA, enjoy your bananas while you can — according to Geo-Mexico, “The USA is the world’s largest importer of bananas and Mexico’s main foreign market, receiving 80% of all exports of Mexican bananas.” Hmmm… I wonder how long before the toxic, twittering human smokestack of polluted right-wing demagoguery wreaks havoc on that?
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View From Casita Colibrí 