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Culture: Banana Plant's Components Put to Lots of Good Uses

Nida Tunsuttiwong

The banana is one of Thailand's most common and popular fruits, and I was quickly reminded of this fact during a visit to the National Banana Fair, an event held at Queen Sirikit Park in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district to mark Her Majesty Queen Sirikit's birthday anniversary on August 12.

During my visit to the fair, I discovered many species of banana that I'd not been previously aware of. For example, kluay thep phanom resembles two palms pressed together in a wai, the prayer-like greeting that is synonymous with Thai culture.

But one of the most bizarre-looking bananas of all has to be the kluay bua thong ('golden lotus banana') plant, which stands about 30-60 centimeters high and features a large golden-colored bud that resembles a lotus.

Culinary treats

While most bananas native to Thailand are edible, some first need to be cooked before they can be consumed. There are countless delicious dishes you can try, but one dessert I would like to highlight is called kluay break tak, which literally means it's a dish you “won't be able to take a break from”. This particular recipe requires frying slices of banana in butter and sugar.

Banana as decorative plants

Some kinds of banana feature particularly colorful buds, such as the kluay bua chompu ('pink lotus banana') and kluay bua som ('orange lotus banana'), which are often used as houseplants.

While just about every part of a banana tree has a use, references to the fruit can also crop up easily during daily conversation. For example, when Thais say man kluay, kluay ('it's banana, banana'), they mean it's as easy as peeling a banana. In other words, it's a Thai way of describing what native English speakers might term ‘a piece of cake’.

Nature's own packaging

One of the most widely used parts of a banana plant are its leaves, which are used as a presentation feature in restaurants and on street stalls to wrap Thai desserts, or in the production of traditional baskets, trays, or decorative items used during ceremonial occasions.

One of the best-known Thai festivals internationally that involves use of banana leaves is the Loy Krathong Festival. During November, marked as the 12th month on the Thai lunar calendar, Thais join with family members or friends and build a krathong (‘small raft’) made from banana leaves, which is usually adorned with incense sticks and flowers, providing a glittering evening spectacle.

The idea is that the people wish to express their thanks to the spirit of Phra Mae Khongkha (the ‘Goddess of Water’), and seek her blessing for good luck.

Banana Furniture

Early exposure

The banana experience among Thai people starts at a tender age since baskets and other decorative items featuring the fruit are featured during various ceremonies that take place throughout a person’s lifetime. In fact, when a child is born, parents often prepare candles and incense on trays decorated with banana leaves in a ceremony called rub kwan, which is aimed at inviting a protective spirit to keep an eye on the welfare of the newborn.

One of my most vivid early memories took place at my relatives' orchard. When a child or children visited their home, someone would usually chop down a banana plant and use it to make some traditional toys. The boys all opted for ma karn kluay, which is a kind of toy horse made from a banana variety called midrib. I personally preferred the simple pleasures of a small raft created by removing all a plant’s leaves leaving a frame-like structure.

Religious and cultural roots

It is traditional for young Thai males to ordain in the Theravada Buddhist monkhood, which makes great merit for the man’s parents and family members. During the ordination ceremony, many of the decorative items used are made from parts of a banana plant.

In a ceremony called khan mark ('betel and areca bowl'), which is a tradition in which a man seeks permission to marry his would-be bride from her parents, banana plants, said to represent peace and fertility, are offered along with areca, betel, and other gifts. On completion of the formalities, the plants are planted at the bride's parents' residence.

Fortunately, this joyous practice is still carried out in the provinces, unlike rub kwan, which is a far rarer sight these days.

A master craftsman

Last year, Thailand organized a Royal funeral for the late Princess Galyani Vadhana, the elder sister of His Majesty King Bhumibol and a well known patron of the arts.

During a Royal funeral ceremony, the temporary Royal crematorium is decorated with a combination of flowers, garlands, as well as carved banana stalks.

Freehand, freestyle

Traditional Thai patterns are often used in the hand-crafting of banana pseudostems (a form of false stem). Genuine craftsmen are often able to shape the plant freehand, while if you visit the current fair, you may also be able to try your hand.

Having been through all the occasions involving this popular fruit during a lifetime, it should also be noted that in Thailand it even seems as though bananas have a link with the after life. Many Thai people believe that a female spirit called Tanee positions herself in clean banana trees, while in a large number of retro or classic movies, both scary and romantic, Tanee is portrayed as a seductress of young men.

Kluai Bua Thong

At the end of the day, it’s really amazing to think just how many good uses this plant is put to by people with a little creativity and imagination.

The plant itself is particularly adaptable with parts being used to make fabric, furniture, such as sofas, and even a form of charcoal made from the fruit’s fiber, demonstrating its diversity as a material.

The most headturning item at present from my point of view is a hand sanitizing gel made from banana extract by a group of villagers in Minburi, a suburb of eastern Bangkok.

While the fair has already come to a close, members of the public can still explore Queen Sirikit Park’s permanent banana garden, which features species sourced from right across the country.

Transport connections:

Train: Take the BTS skytrain to Mo Chit station (exit 4) or the MRT subway to Kamphaeng Phet station (exit 1). On departing the station, you can get a motorcycle taxi to the park. Queen Sirikit Park is located just behind Chatuchak weekend market and the park's entrance is located right next to the Children's Discovery Museum.