Banana blossom

Fleur de bananier

What it is

The purple cone hanging below a banana bunch is the flower bud, and growers cut it off so the fruit above fills out — which makes it a by-product of the banana harvest rather than a crop of its own. Strip the bracts and the pale heart inside behaves exactly like an artichoke, browning included.

In the kitchen

Have a bowl of acidulated water standing before the knife touches it — shredded heart browns in under two minutes. Oil your hands and the blade first: the sap is a latex that stains black and does not wash off.

Goes with

Lime Coconut milk Chili pepper Peanut Cilantro / Coriander Fish sauce

Same species

Banana Banana leaf

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