There was a time when I could have been accused of being "banana phobic," Yes, there really is a genuine phobia with that name. However, in my defense, my dread had nothing to do with this somewhat common irrational fear.

At the time, I worked for a major East Coast grocery produce distribution center. My fear of eating bananas came from the knowledge that bananas are ripened in special airtight hermetical rooms before being shipped. For me, it made them very unappetizing, given that they were ethylene gassed.

The use of ethylene gas in these airtight hermetical rooms, allows the major grocery chains to bring in bananas throughout the year, in an unripened state. Gassing them, brings them to the desired ripeness to get people to purchase them.

Personally, although it's a small thing, it didn't set well with me that a chemical process was being used on the bananas, that I was feeding my children -- even if they have somewhat thick skins, and we don't eat the skins.

Apparently for me, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Years later, I suffered a mild heart attack from being low on potassium. That incident made me take a serious re-examination of my anti-banana position and today, I am happy to report that I am now, "going bananas for bananas." (I'll worry about the ethylene gas later).

Bananas are fast-growing plants with one or more pseudostems (upright trunk like structures) made by compactly layers of leaf sheaves. They have an underground rhizome (underground stem with numerous growing points) that the plant arises from above ground. This "trunk" supports the leaves and the flower and fruit stalk. The entire plant is called a "mat."

In America, we consume 28 pounds of bananas per person. Introduced by the Spaniards to the New World in 1516, it wasn't until 1870, when two men made the common consumption of bananas a reality. They were Captain Lorenzo Baker from Massachusetts, and Minor Keith from Brooklyn, New York. Forming the Boston Fruit Company, both men both knew bananas were a good business and profitable idea.

Bananas have been around since prehistoric times and are native to southeast Asia. Naturally, the Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the early 16th century, were the first ones to introduce the banana to the rest of us. Being very intolerant of frost, bananas aren't adaptable to some climates including most of the United States.

In the beginning, here in America bananas were such a novelty that they had to be sold with eating instructions. Soon, they were the only fruit, besides oranges, being marketed during the winter. By the 1920's, the intake of bananas had grown to the point, where they graced the working class's dinner pails and lunch boxes. And as they say, the rest was all history.

The difference between a plantain and a banana is simple. The plantain is a member of the banana family. Lower in sugar, it is not palatable raw and must be cooked, usually being served fried or baked. Generally, it is used as a vegetable, whereas a banana is thought more of as a dessert.

Bananas are considered to be earth's first fruit, perhaps the first fruit cultivated by man in recorded history. They are not only the principal food in some third world countries, but also the most popular fruit eaten elsewhere.

This is because they are a non-seasonal crop, making them available all year round. That makes them hugely important to world food security.

Bananas are grown in:

• Australia
• Morocco
• South Africa
• Egypt
• Israel
• Canary Islands
• South Florida
• Hawaii
• Central America
• South America

(Additional areas but grown in plastic or glass hot houses)

Here in Florida, we are lucky enough to be able to grow bananas in our yards.

While not hassle free, certain environmental factors are key to a banana plant surviving, the most critical being temperature.

A banana requires consistently warm to hot temperatures every day. They grow between 78 degrees F to 82 degrees F.

It needs to be even warmer for the fruit to grow, this needing to be between 84 degrees F to 86 degrees F.

If the weather drops below 50 degrees F, the banana plant will stop growing and possibly die.

Additionally:

• They don't tolerate too much wind.
• Lack of water anytime will result in loss of fruit and/or diminished sized fruit.
• They are not flood tolerant.
• They don't like too much shade, and prefer full sun.
• They don't grow well too near the sea, as they are very intolerant of saline soils.
• They will grow up to altitudes from sea level to around 6,500 feet.

The number one rule to remember with bananas is:

• First of all, throughout the year, every 4-8 weeks, bananas require nitrogen-phosphate-potash-magnesium fertilizers.
• April - October-- Apply foliar nutritional sprays with magnesium, manganese, and zinc.
• April - October -- Apply iron to soil once or twice
• All year round -- Water regularly during any times there isn't a substantial rainfall
• All year round -- Watch your banana leaves for sigatoka.
• All year round -- Prune to 3 to 4 stalks of various ages, leaving: (1) one that is flowering or fruiting; (2)one that is 1/2 to 2/3 the size of the stalk with flowers and fruit; (3) and 2 sword suckers.

Common diseases of bananas are mainly limited to:

• Yellow Sigatoka-- Pale green flecks that become brown with yellow halos on the leaves. Doesn't kill the plant but reduces crop yield.
• Black Sigatoka -- Severe disease causing fungus of leaves with tiny reddish-brown flecks on lower leaf, that progresses to dark areas until the whole leaf is killed. Doesn't kill the plant but reduces crop yield.
• Panama Disease -- Soil borne fungus with no cure and will kill the plant.

Pesky insects and nematodes like bananas almost as much as we do. The usual ones to look out for are:

• Banana borer (weevil) -- Lays eggs at base of plant and larvae bore into it and rhizome. May kill young banana plants and can weaken mature plants.
• Sugar cane weevil -- Similar to banana borer in behavior and consequences.
• Burrowing nematode and spiral nematode -- Both can cause extensive damage and a common thing to look for prior to purchasing new plants.

Of course, talking about bananas has reminded me of my favorite banana recipe, which comes from Brazil. We were visiting friends in Rio, who were gracious enough to share this recipe. Picadinho is a complete meal all by itself. It is prepared in three parts:

Part 1 - Ingredients:

• 1 large chopped onion
• 4 chopped cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds ground turkey (many people use ground beef)
• 6 eggs
• 2 chopped stalks of celery
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 1 chopped hot pepper
• 3 teaspoons ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 2 - 16 oz. cans Italian style peeled tomatoes
• 1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine

Instructions:

• Brown onion and garlic in olive oil.
• Mix in turkey, eggs, celery, green pepper, hot pepper, tomatoes and tomato paste.
• Cover and cook for eight minutes.
• Add red wine.
• Add oregano, parsley, and ground red pepper.
• Cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
• Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour.
• Stir occasionally.

Part II - Ingredients:

• 1 cup farina
• 2 tablespoon butter

Instructions:

• Cook farina in butter until brown and crisp (10 to 15 minutes)

Part III - Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 3 bananas peeled
• 2 well beaten eggs
• 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• Hot oil

Instructions:

• Cut each banana into 4 pieces.
• Put into salted water to keep white
• Dip into eggs
• Roll in bread crumbs
• Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until brown.

Serve Picadinho on platter with mounds of rice, toasted farina, and fried bananas scattered over everything.

Serves 8-10 people.