Mashed bananas

Mashed bananas are ripe bananas that have been crushed to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. This ingredient is widely used in cooking to prepare recipes for pastries, desserts, smoothies, and breads, providing moisture, natural sweetness, and a characteristic flavor.

The origin of bananas is tropical, as they are native to Southeast Asia, although today they are widely cultivated in regions of Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and other warm areas around the world.

Regarding their properties, bananas are an excellent source of quick energy due to their content of natural sugars like glucose, fructose, and sucrose. They also provide dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and antioxidants, contributing to digestive health, nervous system balance, and overall well-being.

In Latin America, mashed bananas are commonly known as puré de plátano, banana triturada, or simply banana aplastada. In some regions, terms like madafu or plátano molido are also used, although this may vary by country.

This ingredient is essential in recipes such as banana bread, pancakes, muffins, and other homemade desserts, where it helps to replace some of the butter or sugar, resulting in healthier preparations with a very pleasant natural flavor.