Slippery skin

The banana isn't the most thrilling fruit in the supermarket - few people get excited at the thought of eating one. The problem with the banana is availability - because it's always in the markets, it's just too dependable and therefore taken for granted.

As with many other types of fruit, supermarket buyers choose bananas more for their looks than taste. Usually there are only one or two varieties on offer, although there are hundreds of types. Popular culture represents them as being yellow with a distinctive curved shape but they can be straight and they can be purple, red or black. The large, yellow Cavendish is bland compared with other types; smaller dwarf varieties are much sweeter, with a lovely creamy texture. A few wet-market vendors sell the large, thick-skinned plantain, which is cooked before being eaten.

Unlike most fruit, bananas get sweeter and softer after being plucked from the tree. It's best to buy them when they're hard, with a green tinge at the stem - they're less prone to bruising at this point (although they should still be treated gently); they can be ripened further at home by leaving them at room tempera-ture. Contrary to popular belief, bananas don't go 'off' if refrigerated; chilling does turn the skin black but it halts the ripening process, so refrigerate them only when the banana is at what you consider to be the correct stage of ripeness.

Bananas are delicious when cooked. For an easy variation on tarte Tatin, which is usually made with apple, saute some thickly sliced banana with sugar and butter until caramelised, then top with thinly rolled short-crust or puff pastry. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and invert the tart onto a plate before serving it warm.

Plantains are eaten at different stages of ripeness: when the skin is green the flesh is hard and starchy; when yellow or brown the fruit is sweet and soft. During all stages, the plantain is delicious when dipped in a light batter and pan-fried in oil then sprinkled lightly with sugar.