Seinwar Students Cook with Taiwang and Karat

by Amy Levendusky

On 28 April, 2005, the 6th grade students of Seinwar Elementary School met for their fifth session on learning about Pohnpei bananas, as a part of the Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP) Youth-to-Youth project.

Yumiko Paul, Nutritionist at Public Health, led a cooking demonstration with recipes that included the Taiwang and Karat bananas (see below). These bananas were chosen because of their unique health benefits. Taiwang and Karat are both significantly high in provitamin A carotenoids. Consumption of these bananas helps protect against diabetes, heart disease, cancer, vitamin A deficiency, and anemia (weak blood).

The students were split into three groups, each group cooking on a kerosene burner. Yumiko encouraged the students to always wash their hands before they begin cooking so as not to spread germs and bacteria to the food they are preparing. Yumiko also emphasized the importance of using a small amount of sugar whenever the students are cooking because eating too much sugar is not good for the body. The ripe bananas used in these recipes do a good job of sweetening the food, providing a healthy substitute in place of the sugar.

One group of students made banana bread with Karat, using a biscuit tinbox turned on its side with a metal grate placed inside it. This is an excellent example of appropriate technology for use by families who may have no ovens in their home. For further information on this biscuit tin oven, contact Welsihter Hagilmai, College of Micronesia-FSM, at 320-3133.

The banana bread pans were placed inside on top of the metal grate so that the pans were about 3 inches from the bottom of the tin. Then a lid was used to enclose the banana bread pans inside. The tin was then placed on top of the kerosene burner (the tin can also be placed over a fire) and the bread came out of the local tin oven nice and golden brown after approximately 45 minutes. The students were very surprised and happy with how well this baking system worked. The other two groups made pancakes with Taiwang banana and Daidus also with Taiwang banana. These recipes were also quite a success.

Those facilitating the class included Ben Namakin of CSP, Yumiko Paul of Public Health, and Amy Levendusky, of the Island Food Community of Pohnpei.

Two recipes demonstrated are included below:

Taiwang Banana Pancakes
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups water, or as needed
2 cups ripe Taiwang banana
Oil for frying

1. Mix flour and baking powder together.
2. Add water to flour mixture and mix well.
3. Mash banana and mix into the flour and water mixture.
4. Coat the frying pan with enough oil lightly frying.
5. Add a few spoonfuls of batter and fry, one side at a time.

Karat Banana Bread
3 ½ cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups ripe Karat banana
2 tablespoons lime or karertik juice
¼ cup butter or margarine
½ cup sugar
3 eggs or substitute with 1/3 cup oil
¾ cup milk or substitute with water

1. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Mash bananas with a fork. Add lime flour and water mixture
3. Beat the butter with sugar until well
4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in small amounts, adding a little of the milk each time. Beat well after each addition.
5. Fold in the banana mixture. Mix well.
6. Pour mixture into two greased loaf baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour in a conventional oven or for about 45 minutes in a local tin oven