Who does not know about the banana tree or in scientific language (Musa paradisiaca) is a giant herb-shaped plant with a pseudo-stem whose surface looks like a leaf midrib. The height of this tree can reach three meters.

This plant can grow in fairly good soil at an altitude of up to 2000 meters above sea level. The characteristics of the banana tree are round, cylindrical, layered. Banana trees have two parts of the trunk, namely the real trunk and the fake trunk or pseudo-stem.

The banana tree is also a thousand-purpose tree because every part of it can be used, such as bananas which have a lot of nutrients, banana leaves can be used to wrap food, selected banana stems can also be cooked and many other uses. One thing I want to discuss here is banana heart because yesterday afternoon I cooked banana heart curry.

What is banana heart vegetable?

Banana heart is the forerunner of banana fruit. There is also a mention banana flowers or banana heart grow dark red purple. If consumed, the banana heart has a savory and bitter taste. Banana heart includes vegetable foods that can be mixed with noodles, soups, and in curry.

Various Benefits of Banana Heart

Quoted from alodokter.com In 1 banana heart there are various important nutrients, such as potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, minerals, fatty acids, acids essential and non-essential amino acids needed by the body.

In addition, banana heart also contains many antioxidants, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, especially in the flower. The following are the various benefits of banana heart that can be obtained from the nutrients and antioxidants in it :

1. Helps control blood sugar levels

Banana heart is one type of food that has a low glycemic index, so it will not increase blood sugar drastically when eaten.

In addition, banana heart is also very rich in fiber so that it can slow the absorption of sugar in the intestine. This fiber content is also thought to increase the work of the hormone insulin, lower cholesterol levels, and lose weight in type 2 diabetes patients who are overweight.

2. Smooth digestion

Fiber in banana heart is dominated by insoluble fiber. This type of fiber is known to be very good for the health of the digestive system. This fiber can also prevent you from various digestive problems, such as constipation, ulcers, hemorrhoids, and intestinal inflammation.

3. Prevent cancer

Antioxidants in banana heart play an important role in protecting body cells from the bad effects of free radicals. Excessive exposure to free radicals in the long term can increase the risk of various chronic diseases, including cancer.

Banana flower is also known to have anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects so that it can reduce the risk of tumors growing and spreading. The benefits of this banana heart have been proven in research on benign prostate tumors (BPH), but further research is still needed to confirm it.

4. Prevent premature aging

The high content of vitamin E in banana heart also provides good benefits for skin health. Vitamin E is proven to be able to reduce damage to healthy body cells due to free radicals and slow down the aging process of cells, as well as reduce wrinkles on the face.

In addition to preventing premature aging, vitamin E can also help maintain the body's resistance to viral and bacterial infections.

5. Overcoming menstrual problems

Women who often experience menstrual problems can also benefit from banana heart. Regular consumption of banana flowers is known to reduce prostaglandin levels which can reduce pain and excessive bleeding during menstruation or menorrhagia.

Cooking banana heart

My family and I really like this banana heart. And the spices that I mix are spices from ancient times from my late grandmother who used to be a chef at a port.

Every part of the banana heart can be cooked. Like a banana flower that is shaped like a needle, it can be cooked into a savory snack, the ingredients are :

1. Rice flour

2. Flour

3. Baking powder

4. Garlic

5. Pepper

6. Beef or chicken flavor powder

   Dip the banana heart flower into the flour mixture and then fry it

And the skin can be cooked in curry or sauteed half dry. Yesterday I cooked banana heart curry, the ingredients I use are :

1. Red chili pepper

2. Cayenne pepper

3. Red onion

4. Garlic

5. Hot coconut

6. Coconut cream

7. Lemongrass

8. Bay leaf

First, peel the red skin of the banana heart, leaving the reddish white skin, roughly chopped. The spices above are pureed, stir-fry, add the chopped banana heart, add the coconut milk, stir until the sauce thickens slightly. Don't forget to wear gloves when peeling bananas because they contain a lot of sap.

Have you ever cooked a banana heart curry vegetable? Please try ayukyukyu-style methods and recipes, good luck.