Its local name is matooke in Uganda and the scientific one is Musa spp.
Over 50 cultivars of banana, including nakitembe, musakala, muvubo, kibuzi, namwezi, mbwe zirume, jogabakazi and nfuuka, to name but a few, are traditional and a major source of food in central, and parts of western Uganda.
At the same time, the sale of fresh banana as well as their various products is a source of income for the communities and contributes to raising their standard of living.
The individual fruits are about six centimetres long depending on the cultivar or variety, and have a dark green peel.
Bananas represent food security for households in the central and western parts of the country, and in the Buganda culture, the Nakitembe variety is ceremonially presented by the groom to the bride’s family during traditional marriage ceremonies.
Bananas are generally harvested before they become fully ripe, when they contain more starch and less sugar delicious and highly nutritious. The banana can be used in a number of ways; steamed, baked, boiled, fried, served as chips, French fried and so on.
The banana is a high-power fuel producer for the body, besides being rich in beneficial salts and base-forming minerals, and of great value as a food for children.
The ripe matooke can be steamed in their peels and served as dessert and are also popular with children.
