Edible Landscape - Banana Plants >> Types of fruits

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There are so many types of Malaysian bananas available and it is fun going on this adventure of discovery.  My quest has just begun and I hope to be able to have all the varieties that are native to Malaysia or have been in Malaysia for the last 50 years and have not undergone genetic modification in the last 10 years.  As such, I have sourced some of them and some have been on this land when I acquired it.

Pisang Abu Kuning

Pisang Abu Bunga

The Pisang Abu is can be eaten raw but more often is turned into  pisang goreng or pengat pisang.  There are a few types and some have seeds.  Since I hate biting into the seeds, it takes the pleasure out of it, I make sure that the variety I have is seedless.  The skin of the pisang abu bunga when ripen has a blackish outline with a mixture of green and yellow whereas the pisang abu kuning as the name suggests, ripen to a nice orangeish-yellow.  It is almost squarish, with the clear edges on four sides.  It has a nice sweet taste to it.  At the farm, this is one of the biggest plant at a height of 7m with a stem diameter of about 12cm.

The Pisang Awak is often eaten as pisang goreng but is also great eaten raw.  It has a rounder appearance and the skin is a lighter shade of yellow.  Be aware that there is also a variety of this banana that has seeds which definitely takes away from the enjoyment of a great pisang goreng.  The skin is also thinner compared with Pisang Abu.

The Pisang Emas is a great after-meal dessert and due to its smaller size, is just perfect.  It has a golden-yellow skin when fully ripe.  It is creamy and sweet.  When it is over-ripe, it also makes a great local snack-time dish such lempeng pisang or cucur kodok and can also be used to make banana cake or bread.

The Pisang Kapas is sometimes taken when young and used in cooking.  However for me, I like to let it ripen and eat it as a snack.  It has a very sweet taste and definitely less creamy than pisang lemak manis so I often end up eating more.  The fruit doesn't have any angles on its body and has a smooth skin with a creamier yellow skin when compared with other "dessert" bananas.

The Pisang Lemak Manis is best eaten raw and is great as a breakfast component or after-meal dessert.  Its smaller size makes it just the right size to be eaten after a meal.  When ripen, it has a smooth, bright yellow thin skin and easily separated from its sikat.  When this banana is over-ripen, it gets to be mushy and very sweet so makes a great cucur kodok as well as a tasty banana bread.

The Pisang Nangka is one of the few varieties that remain green when ripen.  The less-ripened fruits is also often used to make kerepek pisang or banana chips.  It can also be eaten raw but is more often eaten cooked as pisang goreng.  I have also tried this out in banana bread and it gives a twist to the bread with its slightly sour but sweet taste.

The Pisang Raja is among the most popular variety for goreng pisang or banana fritters.  The plants on the farm grow to about 5m tall and takes about 1 year from planting to bear fruit.  The skin of the fruit when ripe is bright yellow with speckles of dark brown.  It is seedless and the flesh is sweet and firm when ripe thus making it a favorite as gorend pisan as it absorbs less oil.  It is a popular variety with pisang goreng sellers however, it is less often available then pisang awak or pisang abu.  It is easier to find this variety from pasar tani.  When I have this available at my Sunday morning market, it is sold-out in less than 30 minutes.