Saba banana fritters |
Pictures by Ille Tugimin
Sabah’s ubiquitous banana is aptly named Saba. But it did not find favour with the people on the peninsula until Najib Razak, the prime minister, had a taste of it. Now demands for Sabah banana or Pisang Sabah in Malay have outstripped supply, according to Yahya Hussin, a deputy chief minister who heads the ministry of agriculture and food industry.
Saba is a hybrid of the genera Musa acuminata and balbisiana of the Cavendish group. Thus it has a mild tangy Cavendish taste. It stands out from other bananas because of its angular sides. It is between 8 and 13 cm long, about the length of a ballpoint pen, and looks rather stubby with a girth of between 2.5 and 5.5 cm. As a plantain, it is usually used to make fritters, chips and cakes.
Sebastian Chew |