The edible banana blossom

For those living in cold countries, the banana blossom is a rarity because banana only grows in tropical places. The banana bears fruit by having a blossom first (as can be seen in the picture). The clusters of banana are hidden inside the blossom that the overlapping covers open one by one to reveal the banana clusters. When all the clusters appear, the blossom has no use anymore so it is cut or harvested.

The banana blossom is considered a vegetable that can be mixed in vegetable dishes. The common means of preparing the banana blossom for the dining table is in cooking it in coconut milk. It is first sliced thinly and soaked in water with salt to remove the sap. After 30 minutes, it is poured in a pot with the coconut milk. It is best eaten with fried fish or fried meat.