Unique! 5 These Foods Made From Banana Stems, Are You Intrigued By The Taste?

Food illustration (Unsplash / Miklail Nilov)

JAKARTA - The traditional art of the archipelago, wayang, also makes use of banana stalks for the 'universe' of plugging a number of wayang figures during performances. Maybe you don't think that banana stems are also processed as daily food in several regions in Indonesia.

Intrigued by this type of food? Yes, that's the tannin, glucose, and potassium contained in banana stalks. Apart from the delicious banana blossoms in lodeh vegetables and pecel mixes, the stems are also beneficial and nutritious.

Banana is a plant of the Musaceae tribe that is easy to breed in tropical climates and moderate humidity. In areas with high rainfall, bananas can grow and bear fruit throughout the year.

Pelepah or also known as banana gedebog contains a lot of fiber and is often processed into a variety of dishes below.

Jukut ares

Jukut ares is a food from Bali in the form of vegetables made from young banana stalks. During the rainy season, banana trees grow a lot of shoots. Because it can be processed into household necessities for side dishes and body warmers during the rainy season.

Jukut ares taste like oyong pumpkin which tends to be tasteless. However, when processed by skilled hands, it is savory and thick.

Illustration of jukut ares (Source: Visitbali)

In order for the savory glow to be more radiant, when cooking are added duck or chicken bones. Not to mention the aroma of lemongrass, bay leaves, and galangal which add to the fragrance of Balinese cuisine.

So that it is not hard when cooked, jukut is mixed with salt and kneaded until it is limp. When you travel to Bali, you can look for traditional restaurants on the side of the road in the Tabanan Regency area.

Pa piong bura

From the island of Bali, headed for South Sulawesi, Tana Toraja. In this area there is a delicious culinary called pa piong bura. In terms of processing, piong bura is different from jukut ares. Pa piong bura in texture like serundeng.

Processed by burning and adding more can be mixed with coconut to make it more legit. Pa piong bura can be mixed with fish, chicken or pork. In general, pa piong bura will always be served during traditional events.

Banana stalk salad

This dish is famous from Thailand and India. To enrich the taste, the salad is mixed with tomatoes, green beans, dried shrimp, and bird's eye chilies. The banana stem salad is fresh and spicy.

Banana tree illustration (Unsplash / Yan Berthemy)

Gapah curry like a banana

The next banana stem-based dish from Aceh. Have you ever tasted Acehnese curry-spiced dishes? That's how delicious a banana curry looks like. Savory, the stickiness of coconut milk combines in the mouth when the entire plate is gone from the first bite.

Banana stem chips

In various regions in East and Central Java, they produce banana stem chips. Starting from Bojonegoro to Wonogiri, they process banana stalks into crispy snacks with various flavors.

Processing of banana midrib chips takes approximately two weeks. This process is carried out by the manufacturer to ensure that the sap is lost and maintain the quality of the taste.

Isn't it interesting to eat foods made from banana stalks? Don't forget to taste it when you travel to the regions above.