We've been having some really hot weather lately, and are in need of some more rain to cool things down a little. No matter how hot it gets though, our small banana plantation (situated in the back of our garden) is always a cool and shady place to be. I call these banana 'trees' but of course they are not trees at all, but rather plants - they are classified as herb plants, infact ! 
It is estimated that approximately 452 000 hectares of land in Tanzania is covered by bananas and they are largely grown as cash crops, providing not only a source of food but also a source of income to the families who grow them. Bananas (which are called "Ndizi" in the local Kiswahili language) are a year round fruit which makes them a viable crop to grow as you do not have to wait for certain seasons in order to harvest the fruit.
Bananas are one of the most important carbohydrate sources for Tanzanians. Savoury or plantain bananas (known locally as "Ndizi Mshali") are widely used here and are commonly added to meat stews and soups - in the same way as you would add potatoes.
The banana plants can grow to 8 metres in height, with leaves reaching up to 3 1/2 metres in length. My office window looks out onto our plantation of around 30 tall banana plants - as my computer is positioned at a desk against the window, I can see them every day whilst I am blogging ! We also have another 30 or so plants running along the side boundary of our garden.
I eat bananas every day and use them often in the kitchen. You can see all the banana recipes I've published so far on the blog by typing "banana" into the search box in the top left corner. For an authentic Tanzanian banana recipe inspired by Mbise (one of the greatest African chef's I've ever had the pleasure of working with), you can click this link "Tanzanian Tangawizi Bananas".
