Lukop Youth to Youth Plant Rare Bananas

Class Six of Lukop Elementary School recently joined the Youth to Youth Conservation of Rare Pohnpei Bananas project, an activity of the Island Food Community of Pohnpei (IFCP) with the Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP). The first session was held on 18 September 2007.

Shovels and machete and rare banana suckers were the main tools needed for this class, which featured a planting lesson, taught by Engly Ioanis of the College of Micronesia (COM)-FSM Cooperative Extension Service (CES) Pohnpei. A sucker is the term for a young banana plant. Two varieties were planted, three suckers of Utin Iap, the unique Fe'i banana having erect bunches and very orange-fleshed fruit, and two suckers of Akadahn Weitahta. Students dug energetically in the soil, loosening it, and gathered organic wastes to put in the planting hole as compost, to give strength to the new growing plant.

In addition to the planting lesson, a quiz was held. Students were asked to write down all the names of Pohnpei bananas that they knew. Three students, Michael Saimon, Leevaughn Kalio, and Stephanie Joseph, knew as many as eleven varieties, winning IFCP t-shirts with the motto "Grow and Eat Yellow Varieties for Health and Wealth". Sylvia Nennis and Dr. Lois Englberger of IFCP gave a short explanation on the Pohnpei Bananas Poster, reminding the students that some of these bananas have now become rare and that it is important to take care of them so that all can enjoy the good taste and special characteristics of each unique variety.

For example, Karat, the State Banana of Pohnpei, was once grown by most families, but now has become rare. Four of the Lukop students said that they had not yet tasted Karat.

They were happy to try Karat fruit as part of the lesson. Also bunches and fruit of four other varieties of bananas were displayed and provided for tasting, including Daiwang, Akadahn Weitahta, Iemwahn, and Utin Menihle. The yellow flesh of the ripe Daiwang was compared to the white flesh of the Utin Menihle and the health benefits of the yellow-fleshed carotenoid-rich varieties were explained.

Thanks are given to Wailer Olter, Lukop Elementary School Principal; Waltin Harry, Class 6 teacher; Ben Namakin, Program Manager for Education, CSP; Engly Ioanis, COM-FSM CES Pohnpei; and Adelino Lorens for providing suckers of the rare Utin Iap banana.

Recipe of the Week: Banana Bud Salad

• 2 banana buds
• ¼ onion, chopped
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup oil
• ½ cup vinegar
• Chili pepper, or sele (pepper)
• 4- 5 cups water
• Pepper to taste

1. Remove the peel from the banana bud until you come to the white portion.
2. Chop finely.
3. Fill a basin with 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt.
4. Place the chopped buds into the water. Squeeze the buds in the water until there is no more sap.
5. Drain the water.
6. Add 2-3 cups of water to a pot. Wait until it boils. Add the buds to the pot and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Drain the water, remove from the heat, and let cool.
8. Mix the soy, oil, vinegar, chili pepper, onion, and pepper together. Add the mixture to the buds and stir.

It is ready to serve! Note: A pinch of salt is optional, but for health reasons it is best to avoid adding salt. This recipe uses salt for taking out the bitterness from the banana bud (also called flower) which provides salt seasoning as well.

Thanks to Welsihter Hagilmai and Meriam Prens, COM-CES for this recipe!