Banana chip facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Banana Crisp (British English) |
|---|---|
| Type | Crisps |
| Course | Deep-fried snack, side dish |
| Serving temperature | Room temperature |
Banana chips from the Philippines
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| Nutritional value per 100g | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 2,170 kJ (520 kcal) |
|
58.40g
|
|
| Sugars | 35.34g |
| Dietary fiber | 7.7g |
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33.60g
|
|
| Saturated | 28.970g |
| Monounsaturated | 1.950g |
| Polyunsaturated | 0.630g |
|
Protein
|
2.30g
|
| Vitamins | Quantity
%DV†
|
| Vitamin A equiv. |
1%
4 μg |
| Vitamin A | 83 IU |
| Thiamine (B1) |
7%
0.085 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
1%
0.017 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
4%
0.710 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
20%
0.260 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
4%
14 μg |
| Vitamin C |
8%
6.3 mg |
| Vitamin E |
2%
0.24 mg |
| Vitamin K |
1%
1.3 μg |
| Minerals | Quantity
%DV†
|
| Calcium |
2%
18 mg |
| Copper |
10%
0.205 mg |
| Iron |
10%
1.25 mg |
| Magnesium |
21%
76 mg |
| Phosphorus |
8%
56 mg |
| Potassium |
18%
536 mg |
| Sodium |
0%
6 mg |
| Zinc |
8%
0.75 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Water | 4.3 g |
|
Link to USDA Database entry
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| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults. | |
Banana chips are a yummy, crispy snack made from slices of banana. You might also hear them called banana crisps, especially in places like the UK. These chips are usually made from bananas that are firmer and starchier, like plantains or special types such as the Saba and Nendran bananas.
Banana chips can be sweet or savory. Sometimes they are covered with sugar, honey, salt, or different kinds of spices. Did you know that the Philippines is the biggest exporter of banana chips in the world? They send these tasty snacks to many countries! Other places like Thailand and Indonesia also export a lot of banana chips.
Contents
How Are Banana Chips Made?
Banana chips are made in a couple of main ways: by frying them or by drying them. Each method creates a different kind of chip!
Fried Banana Chips
Most fried banana chips are made from bananas that are not quite ripe yet. These banana slices are deep-fried in oils like sunflower oil or coconut oil. When they are done, they are super dry and crunchy, much like potato chips. They have very little water in them.
Fried banana chips can be plain, salted, spiced, or even coated with sugar or a special kind of sugar called jaggery. Sometimes, a little bit of banana flavor is added. If you try to make chips from very ripe bananas, they will turn out soft and soggy, not crispy. Those are better for desserts!
Dried Banana Chips
Some banana chips are made just by drying them. This process is called dehydration. These chips are not bright yellow and crunchy like the fried ones. Instead, they are usually brown, a bit leathery, and chewy.
Dried banana chips are very sweet and have a strong banana taste. They are best made from bananas that are fully ripe. You can also bake banana slices in an oven to make chips, but they might not have as strong a banana flavor as the dried ones.
What's in Banana Chips? (Nutrition)
Dried banana chips are mostly made of carbohydrates (about 58%), fat (about 34%), and a little bit of protein (about 2%). They also have a small amount of water.
A 100-gram serving of dried banana chips gives you about 520 calories. They are a good source of important nutrients like magnesium and vitamin B6. They also have some iron, copper, and potassium. These are all things your body needs to stay healthy and strong!
Banana Chips Around the World
Banana chips are a popular snack in many countries, and each place often has its own special way of making and enjoying them!
Banana Chips in the Philippines
The Philippines is the world's top exporter of banana chips. They send huge amounts to over 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, and many others. In 2009, the Philippines earned about $35 million from selling banana chips!
In the Philippines, banana chips are often made from saba or cardava bananas. Cardava bananas are often used for chips that are sold in stores because they are bigger. For homemade chips, people simply deep-fry fresh banana slices. For chips that are exported, bananas are often partly dried first, then deep-fried in coconut oil. This makes the chips a light color. A traditional banana chip snack from the Philippines is called pinasugbo.
Banana Chips in India
Fried plantain chips are very popular in Kerala, a state in India. They are known by names like nenthra-kaaya oopperi or vazhaykka upperi. These chips are fried in coconut oil. Both ripe and unripe plantains can be used.
Sometimes, these chips are coated with a masala to make them spicy, or with jaggery (a type of sugar) to make them sweet. Plain banana chips are called pachkkaya varuthathu, and sweet jaggery-banana chips are called sharkara upperi or sharkkara varatty. Sharkara varatty is a special and more expensive type. It's an important part of traditional meals in Kerala, especially during weddings and festivals like Onam.
Banana Chips in Indonesia
Bananas have been grown in Maritime Southeast Asia for a very long time, and people there have found many ways to use them, including as snacks. In Indonesia, banana chips are called kripik pisang. They are a popular crispy snack found all over the country, especially on the islands of Java and Sumatra.
In North Maluku, there's a unique type called pisang mulu bebek, which means "duck mouth banana chips" because of their shape. These are served with sambal (a spicy sauce), fried peanuts, and fried anchovy (small fish). In Lampung, you can find banana chips combined with chocolate powder, called kripik pisang coklat.
To make kripik pisang, unripe green bananas are thinly sliced. They are often soaked in a mix of lime and salt water before being deep-fried. Unripe bananas are great for frying because they don't have much water or sugar, but they have a lot of starch, which makes them crispy. Another fried banana snack in Indonesia is pisang goreng, but these are thicker and served as a sweet, hot treat.
Banana Chips in the Americas
In the Americas, banana chips are often found in muesli and nut mixes. Other chips, like patacones, are usually salty.
Similar chips called chifle are made from plantains. Plantains are part of the same family as bananas. In many tropical American cultures, all bananas are considered plantains, but not all plantains are the sweet bananas we usually eat. These deep-fried plantain chips are very popular in southeastern Mexico, especially in the state of Tabasco.
Gallery
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Banana chips being prepared by deep frying
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Fried banana chips
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Homemade banana chips
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Jaggery chips
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Dried banana chips
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Pinasugbo, a traditional banana chip snack from the Western Visayas islands of the Philippines
See also
In Spanish: Platanitos para niños
