IF YOU are bananas over bananas, chances are you enjoy the fruit in its fruit form or any dessert made out of them. However, when it comes to using artificial banana flavouring in a recipe, the food item does not taste like any banana varieties in the current market.There are stories out that mention the origin of artificial banana flavouring was developed from an old variety of banana called the Gros Michel or"Big Mike" in the Western supermarkets in the past.
During the 20th century, a fungus called Fusarium oxysporum, or"Panama disease", wiped out the Gros Michel bananas. However, according to the BBC, there is little or no verifiable source that the artificial banana flavouring is based on Gros Michel."The thing is, the taste of a banana can be mimicked most of the way with a simple compound called isoamyl acetate.The report added that the organic compound isoamyl acetate, which is indeed found in bananas, is a very simple compound that is both cheap to produce and highly versatile.
Diluted, it smells more like pears than bananas and logical combinations of this ester have proved popular.
The local name for the banana is 'Pisang Embun' and while you might not be able to find it in a supermarket, it can still be bought at most pasar tani or at your local wet market.