Frangapanni days in the Banana Republic!

Bananas might be considered a herb and their price has just doubled supposedly to aid growers whose crops in the far north have all been destroyed by last weeks cyclone. 

Bananas grow quickly in leaps and bounds and are a source of carbohydrate and good stuff including potassium. Along with sweet Cavendish and small Lady Finger that we see, the tropical islands have many traditional varieties, small and very large, a significant part of the trad diet, eaten raw or usually cooked and, depending on texture, are boiled or roasted or might go into an earth oven (mumu style). Food is cooked wrapped in the wonderful broad green biodegradeable leaves which also serve as a plate or take-away container. All of which is probably well known to any curious globe trotter - not that the writer is one of those, curious yes.

I believe our regions have regulations about growing or moving banana plants and NSW has crops on the steep little hill sides around Coffs.  Some plants are seen here and there around Newcastle.