What looks like alien squids, comes from the tropics, and tastes like artichokes? If you guessed banana blossoms, I’d be very impressed, and you’d be right! Banana blossoms, also known as banana hearts, are the unopened flowers of the banana plant that are precursors to the fruit. Native to Southeast Asia, they’ve been a staple in Indian, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese cuisine for centuries.
What Do Banana Blossoms Taste Like?
If you’re not crazy about jackfruit or just want a change of pace, banana blossoms are my top suggestion for a substitute. They have a similar shredded texture that works brilliantly for making plant-based pulled pork or crab cakes, for example, but is slightly less sinewy. Their mild, artichoke-like flavor makes an accommodating neutral base for any marinade or sauce you cook it in.
Fresh Vs. Canned
Fresh banana blossoms can be quite daunting to work with. Cloaked in a deep magenta husk, both the florets and heart inside are edible, although it takes a fair amount of work to prep. The pistil and calyx must be removed from the each florets, which are quite fibrous and unpleasant to eat. Once exposed to air, it oxidizes very fast, exuding a milky lax where it was cut and rapidly browning. Having given this a shot once, I’m sticking to canned for the foreseeable future.
Canned banana blossoms have the added benefit of being more tender, which also means they cook more quickly. The size, texture, and taste of canned banana blossoms varies wildly between brands, and sometimes inside the very same can. Your best bet is to buy more than one can if you’re making a recipe like vegan fish and chips, where you want bigger pieces.
Nutritional Notes
Like jackfruit, banana blossoms make great substitutes for meat in terms of the eating experience, but are lacking in the protein department. That said, they’re low in calories and fat, they boast a good amount of fiber, are a good source of vitamin C and potassium. Just add some tofu, seitan, tempeh, or beans to your meal and you’ll be golden.
Cooking with Banana Blossoms
The beauty of banana blossoms lies in their versatility. Pretty much any cooking method suits them well, and you can’t really over or under cook them. For that matter, you don’t even need to cook them at all.
- Raw: Great shredded and tossed in salads or slaws, they have a crisp yet toothsome bite.
- Deep fried: Dip large pieces in beer batter and fry until golden brown to make surprisingly convincing fried fish sticks or fillets. Traditionally, banana blossoms are mixed with chana dal and spices to make fritters known as vazhaipoo vadai.
- Stir-fried: Add banana blossoms into your favorite rotation of noodles and vegetables, or try making mochar ghonto, a type of dry curry native to Bengal, India.
- Simmered: Creamy coconut stews, rich red wine braises, and all types of soups are ideal vehicles for infusing banana blossoms with flavor.
- Preserved: Make a thick chutney known as vazhaipoo thogayal, which goes well with hot rice or used as a condiment on sandwiches.
- Boiled or steamed: Simply steamed banana blossoms can be dipped in melted vegan butter to really play up their similarities to artichokes.
Find Banana Blossoms Near or Far
Banana blossoms are most reliably found in Asian markets, of course, either in the produce department or with the canned vegetables. If you’re not fortunate enough to have such a store nearby, canned or vacuum-packed banana blossoms in brine can be bought online. They’re shelf stable so you might as well stock up!
Jackfruit walked so banana blossoms could run. Though still relatively unknown in Europe and North America, this tropical import is poised to be the next big thing.