Saging Pa More!

CEBU, Philippines — Our farm caretaker has again brought another sack of freshly harvested bananas. The amount of bananas our family has been getting recently is really too much. Not that we’re complaining, but the kids seem to be reaching their saturation point with the taste of bananas such that we really now have to think up new ways of serving the fruit.

Coming home from school one afternoon early this week, my 16-year-old grandson exclaimed upon seeing fried cardava bananas waiting at the dining table for his snack. “Saging pa more!” The tone of his voice lacked the usual excitement (this boy is a big banana lover), and I took it to mean that he just had about enough of bananas. 

We’ve already tried several ways of consuming the plentiful bananas we’ve been blessed with these past weeks. Sometimes, though, we just don’t get to be very creative with it and fall flat on the easiest, familiar ways – either boil or fry the bananas. And, yes, it can get too boring after a while.

Then I thought of “Minatamis na Saging,” which literally means “sweetened banana.” It’s a Filipino dessert using ripe saba or cardava bananas as main ingredients. While ripe bananas are already sweet in itself, cooking them with added sugar gives the fruit a nice, different kick.

The bananas are cooked in a sweet syrup or “arnibal” made from muscovado sugar and water. Some people would add other things, like a dash of salt and pandan leaf or vanilla extract to the arnibal. But, basically, plain sugar and water would do just fine.

Adding other ingredients – like camote, sago, or other fruits – can give more excitement to the sweet dish in the same way that adding certain flavorings to the “arnibal” can. But even with just bananas cooked in the basic “arnibal,” “Minatamis na Saging” can already make a filling snack or can be a good dessert to cap a meal. Also, it can be used as added ingredient in other desserts, commonly in halu-halo. Or, simply adding it to evaporated milk and shaved ice makes yet another refreshing dessert that’s good to enjoy on a hot day.

“Minatamis na Saging” is quick and easy to do. In just 15 minutes or less, it’s ready to be enjoyed. Here’s a recipe from the website https://panlasangpinoy.com which I’ve tried at home – to the great delight of everyone in the family:

Minatamis na Saging

Ingredients:

4 pieces saba or cardava banana, fully ripe

¾ cup brown sugar

1½ cups water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (if preferred)

¼ teaspoon salt (if preferred)

Procedure:

• Heat a cooking pot and pour-in water then let boil.

• Add brown sugar and stir until thoroughly diluted.

• Add salt and vanilla extract and mix well.

• Put in the bananas and adjust the heat to medium. Cover the cooking pot and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes or until the liquid thickens.

• Turn off heat and allow the bananas to cool.

Tip: Adding crushed ice and evaporated milk to the cooled down “Minatamis na Saging” will make a serving of “Saging con Hielo,” another delicious Filipino dessert that popular during the hot days.