315. Musa livingstoniana Kirk (Musac.) see Ensete.* 



316. M. paradisiaca L. and M. sapientum L. Plantains and Bananas. 



Nthoci (N, tree), ntocci (N, fruit), ligombo (Y), makobwe (Tu), 7idoci (To), amatoki (Nk). 



Many varieties of both bananas and plantains are grown throughout the country. 

 The smaller sweet varieties are often grown for sale to Europeans only. As far back 

 as 1875 Dr. Laws remarked on the fact that the Ladies-finger banana was one of the 

 commonest varieties on the Karonga Lake-shore. 



(1) The preparation of banana flour; in the past among the tribes of Karonga 

 District, e.g., the aKonde and aSukwa, porridge made from banana flour was an 

 important food. The practice, however, is gradually dying out and little flour is 

 made at the present time except by old people. The unripe plantains are peeled, 

 dried on the hut roof for two to three days and then pounded. The porridge made 

 from the flour is sweet in taste. Occasionally in times of hunger, banana flour is 

 made in other parts of the country, e.g., Kota Kota Hills in 1940. 



(2) Mharaga, this is a dish in very common use among the aKonde. Bananas 

 or plantains are peeled, boiled and mixed with a variety of foods such as fish, meat, 

 beans or milk curds, mukaka (Nk). 



(3) Boiled banana cakes, cihama (Nk), mikate (N), bumuntha (Kota Kota), 

 ripe bananas are pounded and mixed with almost any kind of flour, e.g., cassava, 

 rice, maize or finger millet. The mixture is made into flat cakes and wrapped in 

 banana leaves and boiled. These cakes are very often on sale at markets. 



(4) Fried banana cakes, zitumbuwa, a mixture is made as in (3) of pounded 

 bananas and maize or cassava flour. The mixture is made into flat cakes about 4 ins. 

 in diameter and 1 ins. thick and these are fried usually in groundnut oil. The 

 following are the amounts of ingredients used and cost in 1938 of cakes made by a 

 Zomba woman for sale at the market : — 



Bananas in skins . . . . 13 lb. costing 6d 



Maize flour .. .. . . 10 lb. „ 6d 



Groundnut oil 1 J pt. . . . . ,, 9d. 



Total cost ls-9d from which 48 cakes were made selling at two a penny. 



(5) Roast bananas, — unripe bananas or plantains either in their skins or peeled 

 are very commonly roasted in ashes. 



(6) Futali (kiSwahili), mamboga (Y). 



Raw ripe bananas or more often, cooked bananas are mashed with pounded 

 groundnuts and sugar or salt until a smooth mixture results. The dish is very well 

 liked. 



(7) Raw bananas are very popular and large numbers are eaten whenever 

 available, they are also a favourite food to give to young children. 



Kinds of Bananas, Karonga, 1942. 



Amatoki — any kind of banana or plantain, 

 Amatoni = ripe bananas, 

 Ingaya = banana plant. 



Ambele ga bazungu = yellow thick, Halale = coarse yellow, 

 Indifumwela = short, thick, yellow, indoke = yellow, large, 

 Ingongomola = yellow, large, mwenirondo = small, yellow, 

 Ndifu = short, dark, sweet, yellow, ndyali = small, sweet, yellow, 

 Pamala = red, sweet. 



♦See E. E. Cheesmans, *^ Classification of the Bananas, 111 Critical Notes on Species,''^ 

 Kew Bull. 1948 pp. 145-153. 



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