We love bananas for a couple of reasons: They are sweet, they make an excellent combination with groundnuts. But there is one thing we just ...
We love bananas for a couple of reasons: They are sweet, they make an excellent combination with groundnuts. But there is one thing we just do not get: those strange strings. Why do they hang around, making our banana-eating experience less than perfect?
Luckily, it turns out, unlike some of the pockets on 60 percent of our trousers, they are not just for decoration. First of all, they are not scientifically called banana strings; they are “phloem bundles.” And if you can get past a name that is frankly not doing itself any favours, you will find that they are actually really good for you.
On the whole, phloem is complex tissue that transports food and water in a plant, thus providing it with enough food, nutrients, minerals and water to grow. So importantly, ‘banana strings’ distribute nutrients up and down the banana as it becomes ripe.
So if you are someone who has never even seen that bananas have strings, carry on. But if you are still don’t like them, suck it up and know that they serve a real healthy purpose.
