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Banana Blossom

Common to Southeast Asian cuisine, the unopened blossoms are sold whole and used like a vegetable in southeast Asian cooking.

While you might not be very familiar with banana blossoms depending on your culinary background, they’re an ingredient that Southeast Asian cuisines have taught us to be delicious!

Common throughout dishes in that part of the continent, these blossoms are a dark, deep purple-red color. When harvested before blossoming, the unopened flower — sold whole — is used similarly to other vegetables. Unlike the sweet banana fruit, the flower tastes kind of like an artichoke; its texture is somewhat hardy and satisfying but not tough and can be eaten raw thinly sliced.

The banana blossom is used in many different dishes in Southeast Asian cooking. Popular uses include soups, salads, and curries, or other preparations involving steaming or frying. And the bonus use of the blossom: its outer petal can be peeled off and, once cleaned, used as a “plate” on which to serve food.

At Uwajimaya, you’ll find banana blossoms in our canned goods section.