http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=banana+treee&id=4A1A0C4630DB2D0B744F4B6FED84BFB5B4951A7B&FORM=IQFRBA

THE BANANA BOAT.

The banana tree has been associated to many different monologues, names and even social taunts. As a child growing up I saw this tree growing in my own back yard and never gave it a second thought; about it's significance or even it's value or importance. I just ate the banana when it was ripe. The banana has even been called the fig by many local in some tropical Islands. But as I traveled and grew up I realized that the banana tree would be associated to people who migrated to the USA from a small Island or a tropical region. The irony however was the assumption that tropical migrants/ people traveled to the USA on a boat.(Funny isn't it) The banana boat people as thy would say; this was a sort of strange phenomenon for me. Because for the life of me I couldn't understand what was so funny about eating banana's or was it the boat thing that made it interesting?  Another crazy thing was that banana was the only foods that monkeys ate; really? Well from my understanding banana's are an awesome source of potassium good for human nutrition. This fruit can be eaten green or ripe. In it's green state many locals would boil the green banana's in hot water in an iron pot on an outside fire; and often the water would be drunken as a sort of medicinal elixir; the olden folks would say that the nutrients are in the green portion or the skin and it works magic for iron, energy and longevity. Before the banana is ripe it can be eaten in may different ways; cooked of-course. Well a banana salad is an awesome way to enjoy this fruit with a cool glass of lemonade on a hot day. I will tell you how to make it on another post; as well as other ways to enjoy the banana before it is ripe. I imagine now that I have to pay an average of 26 - 29cents a pound for banana's; just about four or five single banana's. Well to tell you the truth I can't tell you the last time a banana tasted like a banana to me really. it's so different now. When I wasted the luxury of having banana tree's close by and at hand; now I long for that authentic taste of an untainted non-gassed up for ripening and preservation banana. Sure wish the banana boat people could bring me a bunch.:-)