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Banana Bread: Tips & Techniques

Knicke

By Knicke
in Pastry & Baking

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Alex

Alex

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, ElsieD said:

If this is the one where you reduce banana juice, I made it and truthfully, I couldn't tell the difference between that one and others, except for the fact the ATK one was more work.

 

'Tis indeed more work, but a noticeable improvement over the previous recipe I was using -- the one from Joy of Cooking, iirc. I don't know if the ATK recipe is the same as the one in Cook's Illustrated, but I suspect it is.  I've adapted it to be gluten-free.

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liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted (edited)

I agree that finger bananas are sweeter but I never use them in my banana bread. I prefer my breads unsweetened. I find sweet banana bread more like cake in taste, if not texture. Also, I usually use black bananas; never noticed any unpleasant aftertaste.

 

Maybe just me. 

 

bananabreadmay212017.thumb.jpg.ffa6bc87ffcc862aff96561186d50569.jpg

 

 

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

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MaryIsobel

MaryIsobel

Posted
Posted
On 8/10/2025 at 2:24 PM, lemniscate said:

The bananas used make a huge difference.  I no longer buy any Cavendish variety.  I use the finger bananas or the Thai varieties that the local Asian markets stock.  Night and day difference in flavor depth.

 

I will set a reminder for this bread when baking season is here again.  Too ruddy hot here at the moment.

 

Mini-loaves for the win.

Never thought to use anything other than the standard grocery store bananas(Cavendish I assume.) I do have access to Asian and South East Asian markets so will definitely give different banana varieties a try once I go through the plethora of bananas in the freezer!

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Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

so will definitely give different banana varieties a try

Yes definitely. Do try them you will be amazed at the difference in the taste and the texture. The little ones in the photo above just get sweeter as they get darker but they are still nice and firm. Down here in this heat, the Cavendish bananas will be soft and mushy in about 3 days and these will last and be good for at least five to seven days.

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Yvonne Shannon

San Joaquin, Costa Rica

A member since 2017 and still loving it!

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ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted

I bought these today.  They were labeled in the store as Thai bananas, but there are no other markings on them to tell me more about them.  I bought them thinking they might be good for banana muffins.  Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me, particularly, are they ripe now or do I wait to use them until they turn yellow?  All help appreciated.

20250831_172735.jpg

ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted
32 minutes ago, AlaMoi said:

there are more than 1,000 banana species.  

so - mash 'em and keep baking!

There are more than 1,000 species of Thai bananas?

Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
Posted (edited)

It's been more than a year since I've had a Thai banana. I believe they go by the name of Nam Wah. I remember it as being sweet with slightly sour/vanilla overtones. They are firmer than the more popular/common  Cavendish banana, and should be showing some black to indicate ripeness.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R64M22Pt50&t=22s

 

I like them more than the Cavendish ... more character. I understand that they are often served fried, but don'thave first hand knowledge of that.

Edited by Shel_B
Clarity of intent (log)
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 ... Shel


 

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted (edited)

Thai bananas (Thai: กล้วยน้ำว้า (kl̂wy n̂ảŵā) but more commonly known as pisang awak, the Malay name in most countries) are eaten both raw and sour as well as sweet and yellow all over SE Asia, including here in southern China.

 

I have often made successful banana bread with them when fully ripe to the point of over ripe.

 

By the way Thai banana flowers are a delicious and commonly used vegetable here and in Vietnam. Also, grilled sticky rice Thai banana cakes are a common street food in parts of Vietnam.

 

 

Edited by liuzhou (log)

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
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The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Thai bananas (Thai: กล้วยน้ำว้า (kl̂wy n̂ảŵā) but more commonly known as pisang awak, the Malay name in most countries) are eaten both raw and sour as well as sweet and yellow all over SE Asia, including here in southern China.

 

I have often made successful banana bread with them when fully ripe to the point of over ripe.

 

By the way Thai banana flowers are a delicious and commonly used vegetable here and in Vietnam. Also, grilled sticky rice Thai banana cakes are a common street food in parts of Vietnam.

 

 

Thank you.  From what you said, i should wait to use them until they turn yellow?  The picture shows them as being more yellow than they are.

Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Thai bananas (Thai: กล้วยน้ำว้า (kl̂wy n̂ảŵā) but more commonly known as pisang awak,

 

Just to be clear, pisang awak = nam wah (nam wa, namwah), alternate names for the same banana. There are other names for the Thai banana depending on location, and there is more than one variety of the Thai banana.

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 ... Shel


 

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Thank you.  From what you said, i should wait to use them until they turn yellow?  The picture shows them as being more yellow than they are.

I would.

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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
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The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, ElsieD said:

are they ripe now or do I wait to use them until they turn yellow

They look pretty close to the little bananas that I get here in Costa Rica. They probably aren't quite ripe yet but they will be in two or three days. The riper they are the sweeter they get. You can wait until they get quite dark before you use them. I found that the easiest way to mash them is just put them in a zip top bag and squish them.

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Yvonne Shannon

San Joaquin, Costa Rica

A member since 2017 and still loving it!

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted (edited)
53 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

 

Just to be clear, pisang awak = nam wah (nam wa, namwah), alternate names for the same banana. There are other names for the Thai banana depending on location, and there is more than one variety of the Thai banana.

 

Just to be clearer, the name I gave is the name used in Thailand for the specific cultivar known internationally as pisang awak . Also, the transliteration I gave is the standard Thai.

 

The English name is not indicator of nationality of origin any more than 'English muffins' are from England. It is an indicator of the cultivar. They are grown in many countries. 

 

Of course, Thailand has other banana varieties including Cavendish. However, กล้วยน้ำว้า (kl̂wy n̂ảŵā) is by far the most common.

 

 

 

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
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The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted (edited)
47 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

The riper they are the sweeter they get. You can wait until they get quite dark before you use them.

 

Yes. For banana bread I usually wait till my local supermarket decide the unsold bananas are beyond redemption and give them away for a token payment.

 

 

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
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The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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