By Lee Koelzer | Director GRU
Did you know that there are over 1000 different types of bananas? Out of those, about 500 varieties are edible. I'm honestly not sure How many types are grown in Uganda, but we currently grow five different varieties on the farm.
We have a standard yellow banana that we westerner seeing most supermarkets, locally called bogoya. Sweet ladyfingers that are known as menvu , two types of plantains down as matooke and gonja respectively, And a variety of sweet red banana whose local name I cannot remember.
Additionally, bananas are not grown on trees. The banana plant is actually a very large herb distantly related to ginger.It has a wet layered stem and produces new banana trees from the bottom that are known as suckers. Suckers spring up and we harvest them year round to plant new banana trees at new locations. And we give them out to any villagers who are interested!
Some bananas are eaten raw, well most are cooked either through steaming or frying. Well they are not necessarily a high cost item, they serve as a staple of the Ugandan diet. Bananas are rich in dietary fiber, carbohydrates, antioxidants, and a a plethora of vitamins and other nutrients. In these times of cover 19, quarantine, and restricted travel, having a consistent, nutritious food source is important!
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