August 27 is a holiday for all of you banana lovers out there. The National Banana Lovers Day is the day to celebrate the most popular fruit in the United States and one of the most popular fruits in the world.
Bananas are both delicious and nutritious, and contrary to popular belief, bananas are not grown on trees, but actually large herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. Bananas are rich in dietary fiber and sugars. They are also an excellent source of vitamin B6, as well as other B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, iron, and manganese.
There are two main types of bananas. Dessert bananas, often referred to as simply bananas, can be eaten raw. They are either consumed by themselves or used for making pastry and desserts. Plantains, or cooking plantains, are consumed only after cooking. They can be fried, grilled, baked, boiled, and steamed.
Perhaps due to their versatility, bananas are used a lot in cooking, and there are a lot of dishes that include the fruit as one of the primary ingredients. Some of them are: banana bread, banana pudding, banana split, banana cream pie, banana muffins, Bananas Foster, plantain soup. Banana chips are a popular snack food.
Want to try out some banana dishes of your own? Chiquita Banana offers up a slew of banana recipes for you to try at home!
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