BANANA

Bananas are a popular fruit with a yellow skin. They originated in South-East Asia and are now growing in many tropical countries. In Central and South America, bananas are grown for export to temperate countries. The banana plant also provides leaves and fibers useful for making roofing, mats and basket.

The banana plant usually grows to a height of 15 to 20 feet. Although it looks like a tree, it is not a tree, because its trunk consists of leaf stalks growing close together and not of woods. The bananas grow in large, cone-shaped branches hanging below the large leaves. There may be one hundred or more bananas in each bunch, but only one bunch on each trunk. The fruit is usually picked while still green and left to ripen during the journey to market in other countries. If they are still unripe when they arrive, the bananas maybe ripened artificially.

A banana consists of about three-quarters water and almost one quarter sugar and starch, with a little fat and protein. They are usually eaten raw, but can be fried or baked and served with cream
.