Fresh bananas

By and large most bananas consumed were plucked from banana plants weeks before they get peeled and added to your morning cereal. I've learned that these plants are not trees proper, but rather herbaceous plants, even though they can grow to nearly 20 feet tall.

Yesturday I had the delicious pleasure of peeling and eating a banana that had ripened completely on the plant.

At the house in Itaípu we have a "voluntary" banana plant that appeared late last year in the corner of the yard. We've let it be and have watched as it grew and then flowered with a stem filled with banana bunches (or hands).

We had pretty much forgotten about the ripening bananas until last Saturday when we had a yard full of friends at yet another BBQ pool party. Claudio noticed the near ripe fruit and reminded us that if we didn't want them the birds would soon enjoy every last bit.

So we cut down the stem and I had my first fully ripe banana straight from the plant: soft, plump and flavorful. Yum!