Claire Ariela Shen

Discovered yet a new type of banana at the market a few days ago. This banana discovery season of mine is becoming a bit of a growing obsession. I guess it has been for a while that I've always been a little curious about our Southeast Asian ingredients. I suppose joining my grandfathers place was a natural catalyst for my focus to zoom into our many beautiful types of bananas.

The challenge I've found in culinary heritage research is often that information is often not stored online or electronic form. AI is largely unreliable unless it is a topic widely academically studied and documented enough. (I've often had to often correct information my staff pulled off from consulting AI). Most heritage knowledge is often stored in a scrappy book somewhere lost in time, or in the minds of the people on the ground in the farms or in hidden kitchens, and custodians very much unlikely to speak English.

Take for example this new bunch. As I spoke to the market seller, he didn't have a specific name for this species. He could only go as far to tell me that it's a relative to the Pisang Raja family of bananas. Flavour wise it seems closer to that of Pisang Awak, or Pisang Nangka in terms of texture. AI is of poor help for this identification task (even suggesting it could be from the Saba banana family when it clearly doesn't have the typical angles of that family). Results have turned out so far that it might be a "Pisang Raja Nangka" which is a crossbreed, but I have yet to be certain till I actually go to a research facility or get to the ground for their names and cultivars.

If there are any farmers that come across this post, send help! Even if you could give me the name of it in your language, that's also fine as well. I have to say it's a pretty good snacking banana - a bit like a cross between a silk banana and pisang nangka.

Cavendish ain't got nothing on the many other varietals we have. Go to a heritage market and try them. Fair warning though that after experiencing all the different flavours and textures you may never buy the standard supermarket bananas again. 😊

Random midnight photo dump of some of the most delicious/inspiring dishes I had in Taiwan. (There are tons more, but these were so memorable). Was just looking for inspiration as we plan a new menu for the shophouse.

Yes, we did have one or two Michelin escapades on the visit, but street food, cultural dishes, and heritage flavours will always have my heart.

Is there something I might have missed trying?

I have to head back that way again one of these days. 💌

Translated:
"Victory is won by steadiness and composure;
Defeat comes of haste and agitation.
Success is built on diligence and self-reflection;
Failure grows from laziness and arrogance."