THE STORY OF THE BANANA. 
29 
A common mistake is made in eating the fruit before it is thor- 
ouglily ripe. The riper the fruit, the more wholesome and easily 
digested it is, as the starch in the green banana is converted gradually 
into sugar in the ripening process. The fact that the skin is yellow, 
however, does not necessarily mean that the banana is fully ripe. 
As a matter oi fact, the best state in which to eat the banana is when 
the ripening process is so far advanced that the skin begins to darken 
and becomes slightly discolored, for then the pulp is mellow, the 
sugar and flavor-giving compounds fully developed, and the fruit 
itself easily digested. When it is desired to ripen bananas they should 
be kept at a moderate temperature, but never in the ice chest, a 
mistake very frequently made, as, instead of hastening the ripening 
process the low temperature retards it and damages the fine flavor 
which develops with normal ripening. Ripe bananas, like other 
ripe fruits, are nutritious and especially good for growing children . 5 
While the banana can be prepared for the table in various ways, 
it is surprising to find that a vast number of people are amazed to 
learn that it can be served baked or fried, or cooked in many other 
ways. The American and European people are just beginning to 
appreciate the possibilities of the banana when cooked and served for 
daily consumption as a vegetable. 
The public, which has long regarded the banana as a luxury, is 
just awakening to its value as a daily food. Increased use both in 
its raw and cooked state will stimulate further production and so 
render stable an important factor in the world’s food supply. The 
continued development of the industry means an increase in the food 
supply of the countries importing bananas as well as an improvement 
in the commercial prosperity and living conditions of the countries 
from which they are exported. 
6 The following results of an analysis reported in 1906 by Atwater and Bryant, working under the auspices 
of the United States Department of Agriculture, show the average composition of the edible portion, i. e., 
without the skin or peel, of the apple, orange, potato, and banana: 
Water. 
Protein. 
Fat. 
Carbo¬ 
hydrate. 
Ash. 
Apple. 
84.6 
0.4 
0.5 
14.2 
0.3 
Orange . . 
86.9 
.8 
.2 
11.6 
.5 
Potato . 
78.3 
2.2 
.1 
18.4 
1.0 
Banana . 
75.3 
1.3 
.6 
22.0 
.8 
A glance at the above figures will make plain that the banana contains three times as much protein as 
the apple, nearly twice as much carbohydrate, and three times as much fat as the orange; also that it 
approximates closely the potato in analysis and exceeds it by about 20 per cent in its fuel or food value. 
