Where are the production areas of Cambodian Namwa bananas, and can they be deep-fried directly?

As everyone knows, bananas are among the most common, cheapest and most nutritious tropical fruits, and there are many kinds of bananas in this region. Besides being peeled and eaten directly, they can also be made into all kinds of delicious desserts.

The most popular and most widely used banana in Cambodia is undoubtedly the Namwa banana, which Chinese people call the "belly-swelling banana", followed by the egg banana, the lady finger banana and the thick-skinned banana.

The Namwa banana is fairly commonly grown in this region, has the highest yield, is the cheapest and has the widest range of uses. The main production areas of the Namwa banana are in the areas along the Mekong River in Kampong Cham province such as Boeng Kok Nu, Wat commune and Stung Trang. In the 1950s and 1960s, because local banana production was excessive, those that could not be sold and could not be transported to Phnom Penh in time were sliced and dried in the sun by local banana farmers and then transported to Phnom Penh for sale. These banana slices only needed to be roasted on a stove before they could be eaten. There was another method: whole ripe Namwa bananas were dried and packaged for eating later.

Namwa bananas can be used to wrap banana rice cakes, for grilling, and for making desserts, such as the most familiar coconut milk banana and ice cream banana. Unripe Namwa bananas can also be used to cook Cambodian-style dishes. It is said that eating two not-quite-ripe Namwa bananas every morning can nourish the stomach.

There is another way to eat Namwa bananas: flatten the bananas, dip them in rice batter mixed with coconut milk and sesame, and then deep-fry them in oil until golden brown. This banana food is called fried banana. This is the most popular and most widespread snack locally, sold everywhere in the streets and alleys.

As for egg bananas, lady finger bananas and the like, apart from being eaten raw, they are basically not used for anything else.

Besides fried bananas, local people also like fried shrimp cakes, taro, sweet potato and corn cakes. The method is to dip taro, sweet potato and the like in rice batter and deep-fry them until cooked; they taste crispy and delicious and are very popular with young people.

As for the rice batter itself, besides being made by soaking rice and then grinding it, for crispness the makers also add coconut milk, sesame and so on. Although deep-fried foods are tasty, eating too much can cause internal heat, so they should be eaten in moderation.