For Plato, inspiration (and truth) came by walking, for Marta Grossi, it was by eating. This Italian illustrator who lives and works in Hong Kong is a "banana addict", she eats it every morning for breakfast. But she is struck by an "artistic knock". Every night, she personalizes according to her inspirations the banana she will eat the next day. Then, armed with her iPhone 5, she photographs it. And it becomes an art project:Banana Graffiti.
In his time, Andy Warhol also made this fruit an icon. Producer of the American rock band The Velvet Underground, Warhol had illustrated the cover of their first album The Velvet Underground &Nico with a banana. (which has since become the most influential album ever made according to Rolling Stone magazine ).
But the very first to have really popularized it was of course the singer of the 30s, the famous Josephine Baker! Dressed in her cult costume all in bananas, the show leader swayed her hips like no other to the rhythms of the Charleston... (or like you, but before> lessons it's here).
We could continue to discuss the symbol of the banana in art or even its political affiliation (for this blogger from Médiapart the banana is squarely…right wing!). But our hyperlinks take care of that. We are going to give you 7 banana facts illustrated by Marta Grossi (just to mix our well-being and art sections). Because the banana, all political proportions kept, is (above all) a health/beauty fruit of excellence.
It plays a positive role in our moods since its abundant vitamin B6 boosts our neurotransmitters such as serotonin (happiness hormone), or dopamine (hormone of action and reward-related pleasure). Eating bananas is therefore in a way to practice the "neurobiology of happiness".
Because it's high in carbs, it gets a bad rap from those watching their waistlines. And yet, it is low in calories, barely 100 calories a banana. For comparison, a handful of peanuts =215 calories; a bar of Kinder bueno =122 calories. And since we MUST eat two bars, if not 4... we prefer the yellow (or this pink).
A study carried out on 61,000 Swiss women aged 40 to 76 showed that the biggest consumers of bananas presented a lower risk of kidney cancer than the others. Thanks to its antioxidants.
The annual consumption of bananas per person in Europe is 10 kg, and 12 kg in the United States. It increases to 50 kg in Oceania to reach… 210 kg in the countries of East Africa!
It contains a lot of potassium (310 mg per 100 grams) which makes it food for <3 of our heart. Magnesium regulates heart rate and prevents the risk of cardiovascular disease. Above all, it contributes to the fixation of calcium on the bones - to age solidly and zap osteoporosis - and fights against intellectual fatigue...
The famous dessert sung by Lio comes to us from the United States. "Split" means "split" and refers to bananas cut in half. Of course, it depends on its size, but it takes an average of 400 to 500 calories for a portion… Good news:you can always try to cook it in a light version:the recipe here (in English).
If it is often eaten raw, it also likes to be heated. It can be pan-fried, flambéed or prepared in the oven. Its sweet flesh will accompany meats in an original (and good) way! A cool way to surprise someone culinary.
