BANANA. 17 



yaba en almibar " are the skins and adhering pulp of the guava, pre- 

 served in a thick sirup. These preserves have a very low acid content, 

 and are quite different from the fruits preserved in a heavy sirup 

 which are made in this country, where only acid fruits, such as cher- 

 ries, peaches, etc., are put up in this way. 



BANANA (PL.ATANO). 



(Musa. ) 



Great quantities of bananas are grown in Cuba, but very little of this 

 fruit is exported, most of it being consumed by the lower classes, as 

 it forms one of their principal foods. It was impossible to identify 

 all of the varieties analyzed. Two samples, however, were classified 

 by O. F. Cook, in charge of tropical agriculture, Bureau of Plant 

 Industry, as identical with those known as the nino and manzano in 

 Porto Rico. The other varieties are designated by the local name, 

 which as a rule has no meaning outside of the district where the 

 banana is sold. All of the fruits examined were true bananas, which 

 are eaten raw, the plantains being boiled or fried. 



A large part of the banana is edible and contains a high percentage 

 of solid material. The percentage of insoluble solids in the edible 

 portion depends upon the state of ripeness of the fruit, as does the 

 amount of total sugar and the relative proportion of cane and invert 

 sugar. Work done in this laboratory shows that as the fruit ripens 

 there is a change of starch into cane and invert sugar and of cane 

 sugar into invert sugar. On very ripe bananas the results for total 

 sugar are very high and those for starch very low. 



The manzano, nino, and "ciento a la boca" are all small, yellow 

 bananas, having very thin skins, }^ellow pulp, and very fine flavors. 

 They are all sweet, the "ciento a la boca" especially so. These vari- 

 eties will not stand shipment and so are not exported. They make a 

 very palatable dish when fried, though usually they are eaten raw. 



