BANANAS. [TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR 1 SIR,
In the interesting article on "Bananas" in the Spectator of September 24th there occur the following remarks, viz.:— " Wherever the plant has been introduced, whether in the form of the plantain or `cooking' variety, or of the banana, it has brought plenty and prosperity." With reference to this definition of the plantain it has to be asked, On what authority is it designated the " cooking " variety ? In India, the native country of the plant, the numerous varieties of the fruit are universally known to Anglo-Indians under the general name of plantain, and the term " banana " is never used. In Arabic, and some cognate Indian languages, the name of the plantain is Mouz, and from this the botanical name of the genus—Musa—is obviously derived. The term " plantain," it may be further stated, is older than " banana," and derived from the designation platano, a Spanish name, under which the plant was introduced into the West Indies in the early part of the sixteenth century. On this account it seems to me that the term "banana" must give place to that of " plantain."
In some old books of Eastern travel the fruit is called Musa, Fig of India, or India Fig. In the Madras Presidency, the part of India with which I am best acquainted, the Tamil people speak of the following varieties of the plantain, viz. :— Poova/ei, or Guindy plantain, a small fruit of exquisite flavour. Rusthalie, a larger and well-flavoured table plantain.
Peievalei, a small, pale-coloured, sweet fruit.
.71fonden, a three-sided, coarse fruit used by natives for cooking and eating.
Shev-valei, a big red, rather coarse fruit, believed by some Anglo- Indians to be the banana of the Western Hemisphere. Putchei laden, a long, curved, coarse, green-coloured fruit.
The plantain is in India greatly esteemed as an article of food both by natives and English, and almost invariably appears on the breakfast-table of the latter.—I am, Sir, &c.,
G. BIDIE, Surgeon-General.
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