Some Recent Observations on the Plantain Crop in Buganda

Bananas and Plantains

“…This holds, for example, amongst the Adhola of Bukedi district in eastern Uganda. This is rather less than another estimate that 3.6 kg of the peeled fruit is a suitable daily ration figure for a working man (Masefield, 1944). The large regional differences in consumption of matoke are illustrated by a Government survey of rural food consumption in 1968 (Ugandan Government, 1970).…”

“…Although mbidde was traditionally the key beer-making type of banana there was later a move away from using mbidde to using a variety introduced as a dessert banana (Masefield, 1944).…”

“…East African highland banana varieties used for cooking and for beermaking may display similar morphology but distinct end-uses (Masefield, 1944;Sebasigari, 1990a). Farmer interviews indicate that some 'cooking' varieties have 'beer' variety replicates, displaying similar external traits and sometimes known by the same name.…”

“…In 'cooking' varieties they taste sweeter or are described as salty, not bitter-flavoured (Masefield, 1944;Kalibbala-Bekalaze, 1973;Sebasigari, 1987). 'Beer' and 'cooking' varieties may be distinguished by differences in the flavour of the petiole near the base of the lamina and of the sap, the taste of male flower stems and of the cooked fruit.…”

Bananas and Plantains in Africa: Re-interpreting the linguistic evidence

“…Compared with West African usage, some of the earlier literature contains confusing terminology. For example, an article by Masefield (1944) entitled 'Some recent observations on the plantain crop in Buganda' is largely a discussion of starchy AAA banana. Flinn and Hoyoux (1976) synthesized this disparate material in the map accompanying a review article, showing quite clearly the virtual absence of the plantain from the whole East African coastal strip and Madagascar.…”