YES! WE HAVE NO BANANAS
““While we sometimes try to recapture the magic of certain moments through food and often fail to do so, certain food, by its very nature, is factually lost to memory or accounts thereof. One example is a now almost mythical banana by the name of Gros Michel, which was the first banana produced on an industrial scale before it was wiped out by the fungal Panama disease. Practically every banana sold in the West until the nineteen-sixties was a Gros Michel, and by all accounts, it was superior to the Cavendish that replaced it, with a flavour more reminiscent of the musky sweetness of banana candies and a softer, more custard-like texture. Food memories that are impossible to recreate grow to mythical sensations in our minds. But since the glorified cultivar is not technically extinct and still grows in some small-scale operations, many accounts on the internet can be found of people travelling far and wide in hope of tasting the banana again — or for the first time.””
Read more: PARADISE LOST/REGAINED: ON FOOD AND MEMORY
After searching long and hard, we finally found a website that sold the famous Gros Michel banana. We paid top price and a week later, a box of these vulnerable, rare bananas was delivered. Would it hold up to the bold claims about custard-like creaminess and banana candy flavour? Well, no, it didn’t. While these bananas were delicious, because bananas are delicious, they tasted very similar to the widely available Cavendish. Their texture was slightly different, a little juicier, and the flavour was both a little sweeter and had the slightest hint of berry-like tartness. All in all however, they tasted like a banana. But don’t take our word for it: There are many accounts on the internet of people that have different opinions about the Gros Michel.
Go out there and find yourself some Gros Michels — or don’t and run to the supermarket for some Cavendish — and make this pudding. Either way, it’s pretty much an A+ dessert. But be quick, because with the way things are going, we might also lose the Cavendish soon.
Southern banana pudding, wafers slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen
custard
a small can of evaporated milk, about 300 millilitres
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
40 grams sugar
pinch of salt
15 grams cornstarch
25 grams butter, cubed
Slowly heat the milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Meanwhile, beat the egg vigorously, then stir in the sugar, cornstarch and salt to make a smooth paste. When the milk begins to steam, slowly add it to the bowl with the egg mixture while stirring constantly. Poor the mixture back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil while stirring, let some big bubbles appear and the mixture thicken. Take off the heat and stir in the butter, letting it melt. Press through a strainer, pour into a bowl and cover with cling film. Make sure the cling touches the custard to avoid a skin from forming. Let cool down on the counter and then chill in the fridge.
wafers
100 grams granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
60 grams butter, softened
½ egg, beaten
½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
90 grams of flour
Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla extract. Beat in the egg. Mix dry ingredients and stir through. Make teaspoon-sized balls of dough and place on a tray lined with parchment paper — making sure they have lots of space, since the wafers will spread. Place in the fridge and let cool until the dough is very firm to the touch. Bake for about ten minutes in a 175ºC oven. Let cool.
assembly
four or five large bananas, sliced thickly
whipped, unsweetened cream
In a large serving bowl or individual glasses, layer sliced bananas, custard (give it a good stir to avoid big blobs) and whipped cream in a decorative manner of your choice. Make sure the banana slices have little to no contact to the air by sealing the top with custard and cream. This ensures they don’t go brown too quickly. Put in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight to soften the wafers slightly. Serve.
Text and recipe: Yannic Moeken
Photography: Junshen Wu
