HEALTHY LIVING Green bananas are an excellent source of potassium, fiber, and vitamins C and B6

A month after Martial Law was declared 51 years ago, I took a leave from the 24/7 job, which was so demanding it was driving me nuts. Away from it all was my main goal when I chose to visit a friend in the never-heard-of town of Guinayangan, Quezon.

The Maharlika Highway (now referred to as the Pan-Philippine Highway) was then under construction. The only highway, which connected Luzon towns from Aparri to Sorsogon was a tattered ribbon of potholes, broken bridges, abandoned and rusty heavy equipment. At several points, travelers had to get off their vehicles and walk in mud and floodwaters to transfer to other vehicles while carrying all their baggage. Under these conditions, the 245-kilometer trip took up to 20 hours. Today, with the highway in much better condition, Guinayangan is only six hours away, and there is also a choice of more comfortable vehicles.

Living like the natives of Barrio Manlayo meant day-to-day survival with very little or no cash. Because of a rice shortage, which forced the government to ration the precious grain, we resorted to other starch alternatives.

The locals were eating camote, gabi (taro), boiled green saba bananas, ground corn, and kamoteng kahoy (cassava). The residents of Barrio Manlayo, all fishermen, bartered fresh and dried fish, salt, seaweeds, and vegetable seeds for farm produce brought down from the mountains once a week by kaingeros and other settlers. No money changed hands.

The fishermen and the farmers met once a week to trade. Every Sunday, Palitan was an event everyone looked forward to. Outsiders at the Palitan were mostly traveling merchants who bartered canned goods, sugar, used clothes, pots, and pans for anything they could resell in town or shipped to Manila for cash.

Saved by small fry

When the town’s basnig (large commercial fishing boats) returned to shore after a week out at sea, the crew classified their catch according to species, size, and condition. Buyers, waiting ashore, bid for the biggest, freshest, and most valuable fish to resell at markets in Metro Manila and deliver to client hotels and restaurants. Small fish like dilis (anchovy), salinyasi (sardines), and herring are left in reject bins, sometimes practically given away for locals to dry in the sun or serve to their own families.

Although I was an outsider, they treated me like one of their own, granting me carte blanche to take anything from the rejects ice boxes. I returned the favor by making them a bilao (flat bamboo tray) of crisp dilis tempura fried in coconut oil extracted from free mature niyog, to be dipped in tuba vinegar with hot chili peppers.

Their next voyage rewarded me with salinyasi (sardines), which I simmered for hours in a deep palayok (clay pot), submerged in coconut oil, garlic, onions, bay leaves, and chili peppers.

The pot of sardines became their breakfast for the next expedition. Their wives asked me to teach them how to make dilis tempura and Spanish sardines to add to their limited menu.

Green bananas
One of the fishermen was from Bohol, where boiled green saba are the choice alternative to rice. His four children were very healthy and smart. I wondered how this could happen when they were too poor to eat rice and had to contend with boiled green bananas or gabi every day. For protein, they dipped the boiled bananas and gabi in fermented salted anchovies called guinamos.

When guinamos sits too long, a clear amber-colored liquid separates from the solid fish mash. This salty liquid is like pure patis, which is used by many not just as a dip, but also as the main seasoning, the way city cooks use powdered magic taste enhancers and flavoring cubes.

The “poor man’s diet” of fermented fish for protein and boiled bananas or root crops for carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutrients is much healthier than city folks’ modern meals based on expensive white rice.
Green bananas need to be cooked for better absorption of nutrients. They can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried, batter-fried, deep-fried, mashed, or curried, and also be used as a stuffing, in salads or in dips. It contains potassium, which helps in regulating blood pressure levels. It also works effectively for diabetics, enabling slow release in sugar.

Green bananas are an excellent source of fiber. Consuming food rich in fiber helps maintain blood sugar levels. Fibers also ensure low cholesterol levels, reducing risk of stroke or attacks. Green bananas are also extremely rich in potassium, which plays an essential role in proper kidney function. Potassium also helps ensure that the blood pressure levels are in check.

Green bananas are full of dietary fibers. Fibers take the longest to digest, which in turn induce the feeling of satiety and fullness.
In addition to potassium, raw bananas are a rich source of vitamins C and B6. They also facilitate absorption of essential minerals and nutrients, especially calcium.

Raw bananas have low sugar content. Its glycemic index is 30, ensuring there is no sudden surge in blood sugar levels. Bananas are a good source of resistant starch, which helps keep cholesterol in check.