Some horticulturists theorize that the banana may have been the earth's first fruit. Bananas have grown on this planet for over a million years.

From ancient records and other studies, scientists have concluded that bananas may have originated in the Indo-Malaysian Jungles (many varieties and names for bananas are in that area). The earliest recorded histories show bananas being cultivated and used.

Bananas were mentioned in Buddhist texts from 600 BC.




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Alexander the Great recorded finding bananas growing in the Indus Valley in 327 BC. Later, Pliny the Elder wrote in the 1st century about Alexander's discovery of the bananas.

In 650 AD, Arabs returning from their conquests in India introduced the plant to the Near East and Northern Egypt and eventually Arab merchants spread the bananas throughout Africa. In fact, the word "banana" originates from the Arab word for finger, "banan"--a single banana is called a "finger".

In the late 1400s, Portuguese explorers found bananas growing on the west coast of Africa. In 1502, the Portuguese started the first banana plantations in the Caribbean and in Central America. In 1516, Spanish missionary Friar Tomas de Berlanga brought banana roots from the Canary Islands to Haiti--and from there they spread to Mexico.




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Bananas reached China by 200AD, when they were recorded as being cultivated in organized banana plantations and were mentioned in Yang Fu's Encyclopedia of Rare Things.

Captain James Cook found bananas growing in Hawaii when he landed there in 1775. Proof that in the early migratory travels of the many Pacific Islanders--whether from Melanesia, Micronesia, or Polynesia, they carried banana cuttings as part of their cargo in their great sailing canoes.

The American public had a chance to sample bananas and a large scale at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. At the Exhibition, each banana was wrapped in foil and sold for 10 cents. (Accounting for inflation, that banana would now cost about $1.75!)

Before that, an occasional banana plant came to America when the crew of sailing ships brought home stems after traveling in the Caribbean.

Bananas... plant species of the Genus Musa of the plant family Musaceae.

Bananas are America's favorite fruit--over 96% of American families buy bananas at least once a month--and the average American eats about 30 pounds of bananas annually.

There are a lot of varieties of bananas--more than 500!

Some of these varieties are called "cultivars". The term "cultivar" is derived from the words "cultivated variety"--and means a plant that has been selected for its desirable characteristics that separate it from others in the same species and that when propagated, it retains those characteristics.

However, there are five varieties--"Cultivars"--that are commonly eaten in America:

Cavendish Bananas--America's favorite, the commercial yellow variety that is always available in your local supermarket.

Dwarf or Finger Bananas--smaller, sweeter versions of the Cavendish.

Apple Bananas--Apple bananas are short, plump bananas with an apple after-taste.

Red Bananas--These short, chunky bananas have red skin. When the skin starts to turn purple, they are ripe and ready to eat. Red bananas are very
sweet and creamy. They are said to have a taste like a cross between a Cavendish banana and a strawberry.

Plantains--plantains aren't sweet like other bananas, but are starchy. They are cooked and served like vegetables or potatoes.




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What's Lumpia?--Well, it's an "egg-roll" (sort of related to the spring roll). It's made of a thin rice "pancake" (resembles a thin tortilla) that sometimes is so thin that it's called "rice-paper". These rice "tortillas" are wrapped around a filler--most of the time, this filler is a mixture of meat (chicken, pork, shrimp, usually) and assorted vegetables (bean sprouts, chopped cabbage, bamboo shoots, carrots, onion, pepper, and so on). The "tortilla" is wrapped around the filler such that it resembles a sealed tube--it's sealed with egg-white. Then when you get enough of these "tubes" assembled, you deep fry them.

However, one of the things I enjoyed eating on Guam is "banana lumpia" (called "turon" in Tagalog/Filipino). These are assembled in much the same way as regular lumpia; but instead of meat and veggies, you use sliced bananas mixed with sugar and cinnamon. We still cook these in our home!

The original Filipino way of creating turon uses thinly sliced, ripe plantain bananas, a slice of jackfruit ("lanka" in Tagalog) (a sweeter cousin of the breadfruit), a sprinkle of brown cane sugar, before being rolled and sealed into the "tortilla". Brown sugar is sprinkled on the lumpia while they are being fried to increase their sweetness.

Time to get cooking!

So, get together (materials and ingredients):

• deep frying pan (or better yet, a wok with a strainer!)


• rice-paper/lumpia wrappers (you can get them at your local Asian market or you may be able to find these in the frozen foods section of your local market)


• a "hand" of bananas (4-6) (plantains or whatever)


• cinnamon and sugar mixed half/half


• oil (peanut oil, corn oil, canola oil)


• a raw egg


• paper towels (on which to drain the hot pastries!)

Okay, here's the Cooking section!

• Get the oil hot in the frying pan or wok (medium heat)


• Slice the bananas thin, lengthwise


• Lay the banana slices onto one sheet of lumpia wrapper


• Sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon mixture liberally on the sliced bananas


• Roll the lumpia wrapper around the bananas into a tube


• Seal the wrapper tube by dipping fingers into the raw egg and then wiping the egg onto the edges of the roll before pressing it closed


• When you have all the lumpia "tubes" made, immerse them into the oil and fry them until they are golden brown.


• Put the fried lumpia into a "bed" of paper towels in a bowl to drain the oil and place in the serving area--they are best when they are hot!

And, if you can't finish the lumpia, you can freeze the raw or cooked ones and revive them later when you have the urge to eat hot lumpia.

Variations on this recipe include mixing some peanut butter with the bananas, adding some chocolate syrup or Nutella spread to the mix, or adding carmel syrup to the mix.

When you get the lumpia on a plate, you can add a dab of peanut butter, a swoosh of whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate or carmel syrup, or even some cherry or blueberry syrup for a little color and flavor.

Need Video Instruction? Check Out the Video Clips Below!