HomeNewsBeritaBusinessLifestyleOpinionWorldSportsPropertyEducationCarzillaGalleryVideosAccelerator

Pisang raja, awak, lemak manis… let’s go absolutely bananas!

-

It’s one of Malaysians’ favourite fruits: tasty when ripe, fantastic when deep-fried and, when overripe, absolutely scrumptious as kuih kodok.

0
Shares
Total Views: 1
Free Malaysia Today
Malaysia has so many variants of bananas, most people can’t name them all! (Butterkicap pic)

If you’re bananas about bananas, then being in Malaysia will definitely feed your addiction.

There are so many cultivars, or variants, here that even locals have a hard time naming them all. From tiny dwarf-like ones to giants as big as your arm, bananas should come with a manual!

Here is Butterkicap’s list of popular Malaysian bananas. Many are tasty when ripe, most are fantastic deep-fried, and all make absolutely delicious kuih kodok or fried mashed banana balls when overripe!

Pisang raja

Free Malaysia Today
Pisang raja is delicious eaten fresh or fried. (Butterkicap pic)

With its bright yellow skin, sweet flavour and smooth texture, pisang raja can be eaten fresh or fried. It has a mild, sweet and sour flavour and firmness that ensures it will not crumble upon being fried.

Pisang awak

Free Malaysia Today
Pisang awak, also known as saba banana. (Butterkicap pic)

Sweet and fleshy, this cultivar of banana makes the best pisang goreng, lepat (a banana leaf-wrapped dessert) or pengat (served in coconut milk with brown sugar). Just make sure you go for the non-seeded variety!

Pisang raja udang

Free Malaysia Today
While not common, this can be enjoyed ripe or made into desserts such as pengat and lempeng. (Butterkicap pic)

This variant is difficult to find and looks especially unique owing to its purple to rusty-orange skin. The flesh itself is similar in colour to other banana cultivars, with a sweet and slightly sour flavour.

Pisang lemak manis

Free Malaysia Today
Petite and bright yellow, this banana is best eaten ripe. (Butterkicap pic)

This banana is petite, bright yellow, fleshy, and – as the name suggests – milky sweet. Fun fact: when planted, it will be fully grown within four months.

Pisang tanduk

Free Malaysia Today
This cultivar is distinctive thanks to its size. (Butterkicap pic)

This giant of a banana is fantastic for making pengat, given its slightly sour flavour that balances perfectly with the sweetness of dark brown sugar and the saltiness in coconut.

Pisang helang

Free Malaysia Today
Pisang helang is another large variant that’s perfect for pengat. (Butterkicap pic)

Similar to pisang tanduk, this banana is also rather huge. The difference is in its flavour and colour: it is not sour, and the flesh is pale compared to the darker yellow of the pisang tanduk.

This banana is also good for making pengat, especially if you’re not too keen on the sourness of the tanduk variety.

Pisang nangka

Free Malaysia Today
The natural colour of ripe pisang nangka. (Butterkicap pic)

Unlike other bananas, this cultivar remains green even when ripe. Once it turns yellow, the banana is considered overripe and the flesh too soft to be eaten, at which point you can mash it up to make kuih kodok.

This variant is also delicious when battered and deep-fried. Like pisang tanduk, its flavour is sweet and slightly sour.

Pisang rastali

Free Malaysia Today
It’s not the prettiest of the bunch but it’s no less delicious. (Butterkicap pic)

Delicious when ripe, pisang rastali or latundan banana is commonly enjoyed after a meal as dessert. While the skin is not as pretty as it is often peppered with dark spots, it has a wonderful aroma and sweet flesh inside.

Pisang emas

Free Malaysia Today
Pisang emas is known as lady finger banana as it is small, thin-skinned, and sweet. (Butterkicap pic)

Petite in size, pisang emas is commonly enjoyed after a meal. When overripe, you will find that the skin sticks to the flesh inside – at which point, it is best made into kuih kodok.

Pisang abu

Free Malaysia Today
Many love making curry with pisang abu while it is still green. (Butterkicap pic)

This variety of banana is not usually eaten ripe due to its mild flavour and often rubbery texture.

Pisang berangan

Free Malaysia Today
Another perfect contender for pisang goreng. (Butterkicap pic)

Sweet with a lovely aroma, this banana is best enjoyed as a dessert when it is fully ripe. Its firm flesh makes it perfect for deep-frying.

Banana recipes you’ll love

Here are some tasty treats and the best bananas to use for them:

  • Curries: pisang abu, pisang lemak manis
  • Pengat: pisang tanduk, pisang helang
  • Lepat: pisang awak
  • Goreng: pisang awak, pisang berangan, pisang raja
  • Rebus: pisang awak
  • Kuih kodok: any and all overripe pisang!

This article first appeared in butterkicap.com, a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of  its people, food and places.

Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.