Saba Banana, a Cheap and Delicious Staple Food in the Philippines

Saba or Sab-a banana is an staple food in the Philippines that is widely available in the local market any time of the year. Unlike other banana varieties which are eaten raw as a snack or dessert, Saba is a cooking banana that can be eaten ripe or not. And it is the only variety of cooking banana that is native to the Philippines.

Cooked ripe Saba is a popular street food because of its affordability to the masses. It is sold by vendors in the street or near public schools and establishment canteens.

The fruit is rich in minerals and vitamins such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, Vitamin C, zinc, and B vitamins. It is also a good source of carbohydrate and dietary fiber which can keep the body’s digestive system healthy.  

In their homes, people usually go to the easiest way to cook the fruit which is to boil or fry it. The following are some ways to prepare Saba for business purposes or personal consumption:

Maruya- the banana is sliced fan shaped without separating the pieces and is then coated in a batter of flour and deep fried. When cooked, the surface is sprinkled with sugar.

Banana cue- the peeled bananas are cooked in a syrup of water and sugar. Cooked bananas in a group of two or three are then held together with bamboo stick skewers.

Grilled banana or ginanggang- the best Saba bananas for this purpose are the under-ripe ones. Unpeeled bananas are skewered to hold them together and grilled over a flaming charcoal. When done, the bananas are brushed with margarine and topped with sugar.

Turon- the bananas are sliced and rolled in sugar. They are then topped with jackfruit flesh and wrapped in lumpia or spring roll skin and deep fried and coated with caramel when done.

Binignit or tabirak- is a dessert made from mix of sweet potatoes, ube, Saba banana, jackfruit flesh, bits of glutinous rice, gulaman and other ingredients that are cooked in water and coconut milk and sweetened with brown sugar.

Saba banana is also used as vegetable in pork or beef stew which is called lau-ya.

Factory-made and exported Saba banana products:

Banana chips- under-ripe Saba bananas are sliced and then deep fried and dehydrated and covered with sugar to make banana chip which is a dollar earner for the Philippines. They are exported to countries such as the United States, Canada, EU, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, and others.      

                       

Banana catsup- in the industrial aspect, Saba banana is an alternative main material for the more popular tomato in the manufacture of catsup. Maria Orosa, a Filipina food technologist in response to the scarcity of tomatoes in 1942, looked for ways to deal with the issue and invented the tomato catsup. Her product became an instant hit, and until now is availed by household consumers as well as the hospitality industry to cater to its food and drinks business.

 

Green Saba Banana, a Diabetic-Friendly Food

                              

Saba banana is one of the staple foods in tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia. It is a species of banana that is cooked rather than eaten raw like dessert bananas. Ripe Saba bananas are more delicious and have many culinary uses, and unripe or green Saba bananas also have their share of usefulness as food. Unripe Saba is cooked by boiling it whole with its peel on. It can also be roasted. Boiled green Saba is eaten to pair with kinilaw, a Filipino version of Mexican raw fish dish ceviche or to roasted fish. Most often it is eaten alone as snack or eaten together with salted fish or salted shrimp or alamang which are called bagoong in Filipino. A linupak or linusak in Cebuano is a banana snack on which a boiled green Saba is mashed in a mortar and pestle and mixed with grated coconut, brown sugar and butter or margarine. 

What is good about Saba is that it is one of the cheapest foods in the local market and is always available all year round.

Green Saba banana, a fruit that is good for diabetes.

Green or unripe Saba banana may be a fruit that is good for diabetics because of its low glycemic index that means its consumption results in slow rise of blood sugar in the body. It is rich in dietary fiber and contains a resistant starch that acts as prebiotic that feeds gut bacteria. Eating cooked green Saba may improve long term blood sugar management and gut health.

An unripe green banana has a glycemic index of 30 which is low while ripe banana has a medium glycemic index of 60. For this reason, green bananas should be cooked and eaten within three days after purchase or harvest to benefit from their low glycemic index because they easily ripen.

Like all foods, green Saba bananas should be consumed in moderation. Consult a health care provider or dietician if you would like to incorporate green Saba banana as one of your chosen foods for your long-term diabetic management.