The humanistic history of bananas is very rich, and today's ubiquitous fruits can be regarded as vicissitudes. In the sweet taste, it is a profound culture that can't be found.
As a tropical fruit that has entered thousands of households, we have no strange feelings about bananas. We may appreciate the bright color of the appearance, perhaps to taste its soft and sweet taste. However, this old friend also has many secrets that we are not familiar with.
Bananas, also known as cannabis, golden bananas, and bananas. It is a genus of the genus Musa, which is a perennial evergreen monocot. Bananas are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions and can be seen in more than 130 countries.
The origin of bananas is controversial, and it is now generally accepted that its original origin is Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea.
China was cultivated at the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. At present, there are banana cultivation in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan, Hainan and Taiwan. Especially in recent years, China's banana industry has developed rapidly, and banana production is firmly in the fourth place after apples, citrus and pears. (1)
Banana literature and historical sources
People around 5,000 years ago began to domesticate wild bananas. As early as 4,000 years ago in Greece, there was a record of banana production. Obviously, the excellent taste of bananas is very appetizing for the picky Greeks.
In the works of "Zhuangzi" and "Nine Songs" in the Warring States Period in China, there were records of the use of banana pseudostems as weaving. In the "Three Supplements Yellow Map" of the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty Emperor Yuan Ding six years (111 BC), the Han family broke Nanyue and built the Fusong Palace, which planted a variety of exotic flowers and plants, and there were two kinds of sweet bananas. Among them (2).
In the "Southern Grasses and Gansu" written by the Jin Dynasty, it is recorded in the book: "Ganjiao, looking like a tree, the plant is surrounded by a large area, Ye Changyizhang or seven or eight feet, wide feet and two feet The flower is as big as a wine glass, and the shape is like hibiscus."
The literary leader of the Southern Dynasties’s literary sect, Shen Zhu’s “Pearing Bamboo and Cannabis” wrote: “Cut the Ganjiao, from the herb.” Tang Yanqian’s “Han Wen” poem has such a text: “The poetry of the joint poetry絮, Siyou 咏 Ganjiao.” Qing first wrote one of the “sick sentences”: “Transplanting Ganjiao is green yin, and has grown into a forest.”
Of course, this widely distributed plant is not just a special favor of the Chinese. In Cameroon, West Africa, archaeological sites have discovered the ruins of the banana garden, which has a history of thousands of years.
In the 3rd century AD, bananas from India were discovered and spread in the mammoth Alexander expedition.
In 1873, the world-famous sci-fi writer Jules Verne needed to describe bananas in detail in his excellent novel "Around the Earth in Eighty Days". This is unimaginable in our view today.
After Columbus discovered the Americas, bananas were brought from the Canary Islands to the American continent by colonists and adventurers. In the 19th century, Latin America became a major producer of bananas and soon exported to North America and Europe.
In 1918, the United States sent troops to Panama, Colombia, Guatemala and other places, the motive was to suppress the protest wave of local banana workers. Later, the gaffe was gradually uncontrolled, and the US crackdown caused a large number of workers' casualties. This incident was also called the "Banana Massacre."
The impact of capital on the banana industry has not been eliminated so far. Until February 2011, a trade war called "Banana War" finally ended after 16 years. This trade war has been involved in the EU, the United States, Latin America and other forces, and it has been carried out around the tariff issue of bananas.
Bananas in the eyes of the people of different parts of the world
People in the Caribbean are undoubtedly proud of the bananas produced on this growing land. They believe that Caribbean bananas are unparalleled in the world.
Jose Bernard, manager of the Coopabando company in the Dominican Republic, may be somewhat representative: “They are sweeter and more delicious.” Bernard’s company has created an organic banana brand that is dedicated to selling local bananas to the world. All over (3)
The way Americans deal with bananas is always full of creativity. In 1904, a food that cut open a banana and added ice cream, cream, and crushed nuts was invented. We call it a banana boat. This dessert has been popular since its launch and is still known today.
In the later Great Depression, banana bread was invented, the purpose of which was to help the housewives to make careful calculations, so that materials such as overripe bananas would not be wasted. (4)
Europeans believe that bananas are "happy fruits" that can relieve depression. In European architecture, a far-reaching architectural structure is called the “banana tree”. The popularity of organic bananas in France also reflects the Europeans' love for bananas.
In Japan, bananas are played with flowers. In the Tokyo Marathon in recent years, wearable bananas appeared. At a press conference in Tokyo, Japanese scientists showed a banana called "Mongee" in Japanese. The singularity of this banana is that it can be eaten with skin.
The world's major banana producing areas will hold a variety of activities related to bananas, and China is no exception, such as the National Banana Industry Forum held in Guangzhou, the Banana Food Festival held in Nanning, and the Winter Banana Trade Fair held in Yunnan Jinping.
As China and ASEAN have become increasingly close, the banana industry on both sides has gradually become closely linked. In the 2016 China-ASEAN Education Exchange Week, a "banana piano" can be said to have earned enough attention. (5)
Those works of art related to bananas
Bananas have inspired many artists, and Dutch artist Stephan Brusche is one of them. The carrier of some of his works of art is the banana itself, which cleverly uses the original form of the banana to practice its artistic concept.
When talking about his creative inspiration, he said: "It all started a few years ago when I first started using Instagram. I am at work, I just want to post something, then notice my banana, I think, If I was just a little happy face, it would make a good position. I took a ballpoint pen and just started painting. I was amazed how happy the banana peel was. After that, I tried to come up with a new one. The blueprint of the idea, while using the shape of the banana in a variety of clever ways. Trying to push myself constantly, I finally began to carve on the banana skin." (6) Stephan Brusche because of his banana carvings in the Netherlands caused concern, people The strong response encouraged him to continue his artistic creation.
Perhaps the most famous banana-related work of art is Andy Warhol's cover for the underground velvet band that caused a huge sensational album cover.
In March 1967, people waited for the release of "Underground Velvet and Nicole". However, the album cover did not have a band name, and the album name was not marked. There was only one big banana and Andy Warhol on the cover of the album. The signature and the small word "Peel Slowly And See", people don't even know how to call this album, and today, some people still call it "Andy Warhol's big banana" .
"Andy Warhol's Big Banana"
Although there have been many bananas in Andy Warhol's work. But there is no doubt that this "banana album" is undoubtedly the most far-reaching influence.
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol, who is the leader of Pop Art, has a huge influence on later generations, so that when he thinks of pop art, this big banana will jump into his mind. Bananas are endowed with a variety of allegorical meanings, and artists use them to express their ideas and make them a very interesting cultural symbol.
These banana-related works of art do not only borrow the element of bananas, but the banana itself also plays a similar cultural totem. The humanistic historical connotation of bananas influences the creation of these artists in the subconscious.
