Thailand / Tropical fruit / Banana

Thai name: Kluai

Scientific name: Musa sapientum L.

Season: all year

Bananas are perhaps the most popular of all tropical fruits, and Thailand has about 20 different varieties, ranging from fragrant, sweet little "finger bananas" to large specimens with thick golden skins. The fruit is also among the most versatile and turns up at Thai meals in numerous forms besides fresh at the peak of ripeness.

When young and green, they may be eaten raw as a vegetable with a spicy sauce; more developed, but still unripe, they are sliced, dried in the sun, and fried for a snack. Bananas are also grilled and soaked with syrup (kluai ping), boiled in coconut milk with salt and sugar (kluai buat chi), boiled in syrup (kluai chuam), smoked in the peel (kluai phao), and turned into golden fritters (kluai khaek).