Llevo plátanos y guineos: nombres vulgares a principios del siglo XX en el libro The Economic Plants of Puerto Rico

Sepan que a estos nuevos conquistadores americanos  les pasó algo similar a lo que le ocurrió a los cronistas de la conquista española del Caribe: la diversa y extraña  flora les dificultó encontrar referentes precisos que sirvieran para comunicar al mundo sus nuevos hallazgos.

Bodegón con Plátanos

Francisco Oller y Cestero (1833-1917)

     Hace unos días, luego de publicar el post en el que mencionaba la receta de Funche de malanga y plátano que aparece en El cocinero puertorriqueño de 1859, hubo una interesante conversación sobre las variedades de plátanos entre aquellos que la leyeron y observaron que la receta se hacía con plátanos “machos”. Sobre el “plátano macho”, en su manual agronómico Plátano y palma de coco ( SJ. Boletín Mercantil, 1892) el agrónomo Fernando López Tuero,- quien en efecto fue el primer director de la Estación Agronómica  que hicieron los españoles en PR (1887)  decía que “macho” era el nombre  el nombre que se le daba en Cuba  a los plátanos tenían más fibra en el centro de la pulpa , mientras que los llamados “plátanos hembra” eran “más finos y delicados” 

Les copio la extensa lista de los nombres que se les daban a las diversas variedades de plátanos y guineos hacia 1903. Sin duda observarán la dificultad de los botánicos Cook y Collins de clasificar cada uno con un nombre específico, pues encontraron variedades cuyo nombre popular era intercambiable – entre una variedad y otra-, en la nomenclatura agrícola de los cultivadores. ¡Y ojo, puede que hoy les llamemos con otros nombres!!!

     Notarán, además, una gran confusión entre los botánicos resultante de su imposibilidad de establecer nombres a Musáceas cuyos frutos eran muy parecidos, y para los cuales ellos no tenían referentes bromatológicos ni sensoriales. Sepan que a estos nuevos conquistadores americanos  les pasó algo similar a lo que le ocurrió a los cronistas de la conquista española del Caribe: la diversa y extraña  flora les dificultó encontrar referentes precisos que sirvieran para comunicar al mundo sus nuevos hallazgos.  

      Es evidente, por último, que luego del  arribo de las primeras Musáceas desde Islas Canarias(plátanos y guineos)  a partir de 1516, arribaron muchas más variedades, tanto desde África e Islas Canarias, como  desde África a las colonias británicas del Caribe, y posiblemente desde ahí a Puerto Rico. Igual pudieron arribar  con el intercambio mercantil, el tráfico esclavista, y las  grandes incursiones botánicas del imperio británico en Asia con el fin táctico de reproducir  frutas comestibles en sus colonias esclavistas  en el Caribe.

1.       Amarillo: A name applied to a large plantain (plátano) specially when sliced and fried ( Ponce)

2.       Búlico: “Horse plantain” in English colonies. Also named mafafo.

3.       Cambur: In Venezuela it seems to be a generic term for the bananas, as distinguished from the plantains.

4.       Chino: Dwarf o “enano”

5.       Colorado: Morado Colorado

6.       Comisario: A name for plantains; thought to be the same as “mafafo”, or horse plantain

7.       Datil: A name used about San Juan for a very small banana. Perhaps the same as niños. Although called manzanas by some hucksters [revendones], they had none of the apple flavor and were otherwise inferior.

8.       Dominico: This name is applied in Porto Rico to the “gigantes”or “Jamaican bananas”, but the first use of it by Acosta [ Joseph Acosta, Historia Natural de las Indias, 1590] ad reference to a small white, delicate species from Santo Domingo.

9.       Dwarf: In the English-speaking tropics this name is applied to Musa cavendishi, also known as the “Chinese banana”. The name “enano”, in use for a banana variety in Porto Rico probably has reference to the above species, which is that cultivated in the Canary Islands.

10.   Enano: This name means dwarf and has reference to the tree rather than the fruit.

11.   Gigante: The fruit grows very large, sometimes 10 inches long, but is slender and very angular. Eaten mostly cooked, especially with wine, and used for making “dulce and preserves”. In the San Juan Market tis name was used for a much smaller fruit.

12.   Fig: A name used in the British Islands of Martinique or Jamaica Banana”.

13.   Fotoko: Midway between a plantain and a banana. Seems to be of African origin.

14.   Gros Michel: See:  Martinico

15.   Guadeloupe: See:  Martinico.

16.   Guineo Amarillo: A name used in San Juan market for  medium sized banana which some of the dealers named “gigantes”.

17.   Guineo de Manzana: See Manzana

18.   Guineo de Piña: The smallest variety known….,and not the same as “dátiles”, thin skinned.

19.   Guineo de Rosa: A name used about Ponce for a variety also called “guineos de piña”.

20.   Guineo de Tierra: A very inferior sort of plantain used to make vinegar.

21.   Guineo Indio: A red banana grown around Ponce. The golden yellow flesh is said to be of very fine quality, much preferred by many Americans.

22.   Higo: See: Martinico

23.   Horse Plantain: An English name for the “mafafo” or short plantain.

24.   Horton: This is the name for the plantain, presumably the long-fruited type. In Venezuela the common plantain is said to call “plátano hartón”

25.   Jamaica: A name used in the American Trade Market for the large yellow bananas now practically the only variety brought to our markets. Jamaica is the center for the West Indian banana growing industry, but the present variety is not confined to that island and is not called Jamaica except by us. In the different islands it has many other names such as fig, figue, gigante, Gros Michel, Guadeloupe, Martinique, etc.

26.   Mafafo: Apparently the most common of Porto Rican name for the short angular plantain, sometimes called the horse plantain by the English-speaking people. The “mafafos” are smaller, shorter, and thicker than the genuine plantains and the cross section is very angular. Quality and texture differ from the plátanos in being more mealy; the skin is extremely thick. The variety is pealed and roasted in charcoal ashes and it is then called “native bread”. It is frequently sold in the market. There are several other native names, such as “bulicos”, “comisarios”, y  “mata hambre”.

27.   Manzano: Specimens of this variety were kindly sent to us by Mr. Graham of Ponce under the name “guineos de manzana”. This were of a very bright yellow color , with a very thin and delicate skin, fine and soft texture and very pleasant taste, with a distinct flavor of apple. An  overripe apple is perhaps suggested but the banana texture and flavor overcome any objections of that kind, and there is no mealiness or unpleasant aftertaste. Tis is, in short, an exceedingly fine fruit, but one which is looked upon as a delicacy rather that a regular product…The tree is somewhat smaller than that of the “niño” and other varieties except the “dwarf”. The bunches of the “manzano” are generally smaller, seldom reaching 100 fruits.

28.   Martinico: According to Mr. Mead, this is the name used on the south side of the Island for the variety more commonly known as “gigantes”, the Gros Michel and Jamaica Banana.

29.   Matahambre: See:  “mafafo”.

30.   Morado Colorado: A very large red variety. Captain Hansard has seen bunches of 100, of which the smallest fruit was 8 inches in circumference. The tree is the largest of any of the varieties and is on this account desirable for shade, but the fruit is not liked by the people of Porto Rico.

31.   Morado: See: “Morado Colorado”

32.   Niño: Yellow, short, slender, slightly angular: taste very sweet, without acid or unpleasantness.

33.   Guineo de Piña: See: “Guineo de Piña”.

34.   Plantain: In English This name is used either as a general term for all the banana-like fruits or, more commonly, it is restricted to the coarser varieties which are inedible without cooking.

35.   Plátano: Used alone, this name seems to refer in Porto Rico to the long plantain and not to the short plantain or “mafafo”. This “plátano” is eaten only in the cooked condition, being generally sliced and fried, although often boiled and combined with other materials. The fruits are very often large, thick-skinned and angular. They are generally cooked while green, but if allowed to mature they become yellow and the black.