The banana plant is classified as an arborescent (tree-like) perennial herb, and the banana itself is considered a berry. A bunch of bananas is called a hand; a single banana is a finger. Did you know? Bananas may have been the world's first cultivated fruit. Archaeologists have found evidence of banana cultivation in New Guinea as far back as 8000 B.C.
Carry one in your bag, for whenever a sudden hunger pang grips you.
If you travel towards the East and the Northeast, you will come across it in the local breakfast cereal, known as jolpan in Assam, which usually contains puffed or sticky rice mixed with curd and jaggery, and topped with banana pieces. It is a common feature in breakfast menus, and it is definitely with good reason. It provides you instant energy to kickstart your day, and is said to be very good for the stomach.
In India, it is given much importance where various regional cuisines use it in making various desserts - kheer, malpua, halwa, payasam, sheera, and paniyaram, to name a few.
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