GOING BANANAS

Bananas and a vast variety of tropical fruits thrive in Thailand’s hot and humid climate. While there may be more varieties of bananas in Africa and Latin America, it may well be true that it is the Thais who have found the most varied ways to make use of them.

Almost every part of the banana plant finds its way into many aspects of the Thai way of life, such as in auspicious ceremonies and culinary art. In the kitchen, blossoms, fruit, runners, and the pulp inside the stalk are all important ingredients in Thai dishes. Only the leaves and the roots are not eaten. The leaves and trunk provide material for a variety of purposes. Banana plant trunks play a role in certain auspicious religious ceremonies, and the leaves make a good wrapping for savory foods and sweets.

The leaves of the banana variety known in Thai as kluay tanee are the best choice for wrapping food. Its attractive bright green leaves and are tough and durable. They can be folded into different shapes without splitting or tearing. The major centre of kluay tanee farming is Amphoe Sri Samrong in Sukhothai Province.

Although kluay tanee bananas are sweet, they are full of hard, black seeds and are rarely consumed as a fruit. Fortunately, there are many other edible varieties.

Of the indigenous Thai bananas, Kluay nam waa (extremely popular and nutritious, this is the contender for the title of ‘Top Banana’), kluay hawm (most commonly found in western supermarkets), kluay khai (small, yellow, and sweet), kluay hak mook (eaten grilled over charcoal), and kluay lep mue naang (slender and curved and highly aromatic) are the favorites.

BANANAS IN THE THAI WAY OF LIFE

Auspicious Ceremonies
New Beginnings – A New House
The use of the banana plant in auspicious ceremonies is primarily symbolic. It is seen as a productive plant that flourishes and grows quickly. Since ancient times, when a new house was being built, great significance was given to the piling of the first pillar which had to be set in an auspicious position (the north or the east), and also at an auspicious time.

Then, as now, the primary pillar was decorated with a small banana plant, a stalk of sugar cane, and a colored cloth. The banana plant symbolizes growth and prosperity because it produces a large number of fruits, sometimes hundreds at a time. Attaching a banana plant to the main pillar of the house ensures that the family who lives there will prosper and increase in number. The sugar cane symbolizes sweetness and happiness, while the colored cloth brings brightness and cheer. Once the ceremony has come to an end, the banana and sugar cane are planted in the yard of the new house. Before long they grow and provide food for the family. This ceremony is one of the ways in which the banana is used in connection with traditional beliefs.

New Beginnings – A New Life Together
Banana trees are also featured in traditional wedding ceremonies. The khan maak procession in which the groom makes offerings, which include a small banana plant and a stalk of sugar cane, to the parents of his bride-to-be. These have the same symbolic significance as the pillar-sinking ritual for a new house.

Bai Sri Blessing Ceremonies
The bai sri is a blessing ceremony performed to bestow happiness and prosperity to a person or place.

The ceremony features a beautifully-shaped ornament called a khrueang bai sri tonmade of elaborately-folded banana leaves. For a major ceremony, the bai sri tree can reach five to nine tiers in height. Smaller events make do with a single-tiered version called a bai sri paak chaam that is placed in a bowl. Both types are decorated with peeled, boiled eggs or lotus flowers which are placed on the pointed ends that emanate from the floral decoration.

Both of these objects are thought to be symbolic of Phra Sumane Mountain (Mount Meru) which according to Brahman belief is the home of celestial beings. The eggs, with their clean, white color, represent the angels of the highest order, while the lotus blossoms, born from water, represent purity. The ceremony is performed by a Brahman priest who seeks blessings for a place or person by offering prayers to celestial beings. B anana leaves are used to make khrueang bai sri because they are completely natural; clean and unblemished from any previous use and large enough to be folded into whatever shape is desired.

The pith of the plant is cut into short segments and used as in ingredient in a sweet-sour-spicy clear soup called kaeng som. It is soft but crunchy, and takes on flavor as it absorbs the sauce. This recipe is popular in rural areas where bananas are grown in the garden in virtually every household.

The large, reddish banana flower, called hua plee in Thai, is shredded and added to a clear soup called kaeng liang. Served as a cool weather dish because it is thought to have warming properties derived from the shallots and peppercorns included in the ingredients, this was the eternal favorite in times past. Fine strips of banana flowers and bai maeng lak, a type of basil, are added to the dish.

Banana flowers, sliced crosswise, can also be made into a yam, a spicy salad with sour overtones. A piquant sauce, made by combining lime juice, toasted bird chilli, coconut cream and fish sauce, is poured over the banana flower. The fresh ingredients, including ground black sesame, are tossed together, and sometimes topped with pieces of chicken meat or boiled or fried shrimp served whole. Toasted whole chilies and crisp-fried shallots are sprinkled on top as a final touch.

	Kluay Nam Wa Out of all of the choices available, Kluay nam waa is the favorite among Thais. As it is widely grown, it is not an expensive fruit. In the past, babies that had not yet been completely weaned from mother’s milk were fed mashed kluay nam waa. Filling, easy to digest, rich in protein and highly nutritious, kluay nam waa is also a staple food in diets for the elderly. Besides being eaten fresh, its sweet flavor and firm texture makes it the most versatile Thai banana for making desserts. All of following treats are made with kluay nam waa. Khanom Kluay – Steamed Banana Pudding Mashed kluay nam waa is mixed in with flour, palm sugar, and coconut milk to make a sweet called khanom kluay. It is an old-fashioned favorite whose popularity hasn’t diminished even among younger generation Thais.     Kluay Khaek – Banana Fritters Banana fritters called kluay khaek are made with bananas that are semi-ripe. They are split lengthwise, dipped in a batter made from flour, coconut cream, sugar, and salt, then deep-fried until the batter becomes crispy.     Kluay Buat Chee – Banana chunks in Warm Coconut Milk The popular kluay buat chee is also made from kluay nam waa that are just about to ripen. The sliced banana is boiled in coconut milk to which salt and sugar have been added.     Kluay Chueam – Banana Chunks in Caramelized Palm Sugar Bite-sized chunks of relatively raw bananas are cooked in palm sugar syrup over very low heat until almost all the water has evaporated, leaving the palm sugar caramelized. As the palm sugar permeates the white flesh, the pieces become reddish-brown.
	Kluay Hawm Although it is usually eaten ripe, kluay hawm is the most popular choice in cooking bananas when it comes to making cake kluay hawm, similar to the western-style banana cake.
	Kluay Khai The egg banana, or kluay khai is small, soft, and very sweet. It can be used in place of kluay nam waa to make kluay buat chee. The difference is that the cooked bananas are softer, sweeter, and more fragrant. They can be candied, too, with similar results. Khao mao is made with unripe, green rice that is pounded to remove the hull and then mixed in with grated coconut, salt, and sugar. The dry mixture is packed around an egg banana, which is then dipped in rice flour batter and fried in very hot oil. It is delicious when served with tea or coffee.
	Kluay Hak Mook Kluay hak mook can only be grilled over a low charcoal fire. With its thick peel, the bananas are left on the grill until the peel has almost burned black. Perfectly cooked, the fruit inside is yellow and sweet, with a delectable aroma. Thais believe that this banana is ideal for those who are unwell or have a poor appetite. It provides sugar for energy, is easy to eat, and is filling.
	Kluay Lep Mue Naang Named after the curved fingernails of traditional Thai dancers, the kluay lep mue naang is native to the upper part of Thailand’s South, including the provinces of Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon. Its appearance is like that of a wild banana: the fruits are small and very firm. But the flavor and fragrance are similar to those of the kluay hawm. They are eaten fresh and because of their dainty size are not used to make desserts.

Sun-dried bananas are made from very ripe fruit. As the whole bananas dry out, they gradually flatten and become firm but retain their original sweet flavor. These days, the drying is done in concrete ovens with the heat kept low – an undoubtedly more hygienic technique.

Each of these bananas has its own special character that makes it suitable for eating straight from the tree or for the preparation of desserts and sweet snacks. The sheer variety of ways in which Thai cooks have featured them in various recipes is evidence of the traditional folk creativity that has given rise to the country’s rich culinary heritage.

From symbolic embellishments to auspicious ceremonies to fritters, rich desserts and nutritious grilled treats for convalescents, Thais seem to have exploited the banana plant’s every potential.