Farmer: \u201cThat\u2019s a (fill in blank with word I have never heard before).\u201d<\/p>\n
Me: \u201cA what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Farmer repeats until I have a firm confidence in how it\u2019s spelled so I can Google it later.<\/em><\/p>\n Me: \u201cWhat do you do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n Farmer instructs me on peeling and cooking methods then spouts off eight recipes for smoothies, curries, soups, pies, etc., featuring said produce and other ingredients found on table.<\/em><\/p>\n The conversation wraps up as we exchange cash, produce, and names. It ends with smiles of appreciation on both sides.<\/p>\n Not all bananas are created equal.<\/strong> According to a farmer at Chamorro Village named Ken, local bananas grow on some of the tallest trees in Guam\u2019s jungles, which means they are often the first trees to topple during a typhoon. After one of Guam\u2019s major typhoons, banana trees were brought in from Fiji, Palau, Manila, and elsewhere to replenish the banana crops, which is why there are many different varieties that grow well here.<\/p>\n Local bananas are different.<\/strong> The fatter, boxier local bananas (a.k.a. \u201ccooking bananas\u201d or plantains, though they aren\u2019t often called that here) have a much heartier and starchier consistency, more like a potato or a breadfruit. According to one Agat Market farmer, there are even different varieties of cooking bananas. Some are used for soups, for ice cream, for donuts, etc. They aren\u2019t as sweet to eat plain on their own, but (here\u2019s another local tip) it turns out local bananas taste great when nuked in the microwave (30-45 seconds, or until the peel pops off).<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a banana heart,\u201d he said. (I was grateful he did not add the implied \u201cDuh\u201d that my question seemed to deserve at the time.)<\/p>\n Stretch your Fresh Factor muscles and give this banana heart recipe a try. You\u2019ll be more than satisfied with the decadent combination of flavors. And as a bonus, you\u2019ll be one step closer to finding out what the locals already know.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/archives.theguamguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fiji_and_local-300x200.jpg\" "\\"fiji_and_local\\"")
One of the most plentiful and easy-to-find, year-round fruit on island happens to be one that I have learned the most about during my farmer\u2019s market conversations: bananas. The more I learn about bananas from the locals, the more I realize I have completely overlooked the obvious. I had no idea there was so much to learn! Here are a few slices of banana wisdom I have picked up, fresh from the market to you.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/archives.theguamguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/manila_bananas-300x200.jpg\" "\\"manila_bananas\\"")
You can taste the difference \u2014 just ask!<\/strong> Farmer Ken led me through a taste test of three different kinds of bananas at his produce table at Chamorro Village one Wednesday morning. It was amazing to taste the difference in sweetness and learn how to tell which banana is which. Now I know to look for Fiji bananas, the shorter, rounder bananas with pointy tips on the ends. They are sweeter and softer than the Manila bananas, which have rounder ends. Fiji and Manila bananas are both inherently more delicious and remarkably less expensive than the commonplace Candish bananas shipped in from Central America.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/archives.theguamguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/banana_hearts-300x200.jpg\" "\\"banana_hearts\\"")
Bananas have hearts (who knew?).<\/strong> One of my first times eyeing the local produce section at a Payless Supermarket, I picked up a reddish-brown pod and asked the stocker my usual question, \u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/archives.theguamguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/bud_leaves-300x200.jpg\" "\\"bud_leaves\\"")
Turns out banana trees have hearts, or buds, from which bunches of bananas begin to grow. When added to coconut-based curries, banana hearts add a buttery nuttiness that\u2019s well worth the effort of peeling and chopping and salting.<\/p>\nBanana Heart Coconut Ginger Beef Curry<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/archives.theguamguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/slicing_banana_hearts-300x200.jpg\" "\\"slicing_banana_hearts\\"")
Preparation:<\/strong> Remove the reddish leaves and petals from the banana heart. Slice the remaining yellow\/white inner pieces lengthwise into four sections, then chop crosswise into \u00bd cm slices. Soak in salted water until ready to cook to prevent chopped buds from turning gray. Drain when ready to use and squeeze out the excess water.<\/p>\n