Vincy Bananas

There is nothing quite like Vincy Bananas – once you have eaten them, all others pale in comparison.  I often buy bananas when abroad and am always disappointed; to my discerning palate they are rather tasteless, not nearly as sweet as those grown in St. Vincent. I’m afraid our local bananas have spoiled me for life!

When I arrived in the 70’s St. Vincent was still an English colony, and banana farming was a thriving industry that depended heavily on exportation. The Windward Islands bananas (St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Dominica) were protected by British policies that guaranteed duty-free access to the United Kingdom along with the imposition of tariffs on bananas from other sources. These policies also restricted the amounts that could be imported into the U.K. from Latin American countries, assuring the Windward Islands of a steady and reliable market. In return, the Geest boats (which we called the “banana boats”) paid less for the bananas they loaded as cargo, but as the market was assured in England the industry was viable. The post-colonial trade agreements led to a draw-back of this preferential treatment and, when St. Vincent had to compete on the world market (in particular with Latin America), many small farmers were forced to stop growing bananas. This was a big blow to the country’s agricultural sector; the trade agreements had pretty much guaranteed an income that many people relied on, and when the banana industry began to collapse there was little to replace it with. Some small farmers turned to growing marijuana, a risky alternative to banana farming because it was illegal.

Our Vincy bananas are still wonderful of course, but they have certainly climbed in price. They used to be quite inexpensive, I can recall being horrified when the price climbed to 25 cents EC per banana! Nowadays, many of the vendors on Bequia WEIGH the bananas and charge by the pound, and it’s a rarity indeed to buy a small hand for less than $5.00 EC. This is not expensive compared to bananas bought overseas, but it’s a shock to the system for those living on St. Vincent. Nik and I have banana trees growing on our property and also buy stalks from the mainland to hang for ripening, providing us with a steady supply at a reasonable price.  Bananas play a big part in our daily lives; they go in our morning smoothies, are used in the tutti fruitti ice cream we make, plus they are a key ingredient for the healthy power bars and bags of dehydrated fruit we sell.

Bananas are quite versatile, and can be used in many ways to create lovely desserts. The banana bread I made for Mac’s Pizzeria was exceptionally good, and an excellent way to use up bananas that would otherwise have spoiled. I soaked raisins overnight in dark rum and added them, along with some yoghurt and blended ripe bananas, to my cake mixture. The result was an incredibly delicious and moist loaf that was easy to make and never failed to please my customers.  I have also made banana puddings, pies, mousses, Flambees, pancakes, cookies, brownies, even bananas dipped in melted chocolate, all quite simple to create with a minimum of fuss.

However, the ONE thing involving bananas that I have always liked yet never bothered to make until recently is green banana salad. Green bananas, locally known as “lacatan”, are often used in soups such as boileen, goat-water and callaloo, and are also served along with other “provision” in many West Indian homes. They make a very nice salad too and, if prepared properly, this salad is a wonderful addition to any meal. This is how it’s done in my kitchen:

Peel and simmer 12 green bananas in salted water until tender but still firm.                                 

Sautee I medium sized chopped onion and 2 large sweet peppers in some virgin coconut oil.  Chop about ½ cup green stuffed olives, add to the onion mixture.

Cut the bananas into ¼ inch pieces and chop 4 hard-boiled eggs, then add to the mixture along with some ground black pepper and sea salt. 

Combine ¼ cup coconut oil and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, add to assembled ingredients and mix thoroughly.

This is a tasty salad that can be used as either a side dish or a starch substitute. It takes very little time to make once you have the green bananas separated from the skins – that’s the hardest part!  The bananas CAN be boiled in the skins which makes them easier to remove, but peeling them before boiling is preferable.  Vincy bananas are the absolute best, and I applaud the farmers who make them a part of my daily diet!