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Egypt plantains are of the banana family but are not bananas; they are a hybrid of two banana species. In comparison, they have lower sugar and are starchier. This means, when they ripen, they retain their green color, and when overripe, they turn yellow or black. Also, plantains are not pleasant to eat raw because of their high starch content. Hence, cooked or fried is the conventional way to eat plantain. Plantains have, for years now, served an essential role in traditional meals where they serve more as vegetables than fruits. Globally, plantains occupy the tenth position in the staple foods chart. 

The origin of plantains and their ancestors is the Malaysian Peninsula, southeast Asia, and New Guinea. The varieties that grow in Egypt have a similar background. Plantain reached Madagascar from India and Malaysia through trade. Plantain among other tubers then became a sign of wealth and prosperity in the kingdoms of Central and Southern Africa around 1500AD.

The Egypt plantain plant will only flower once. These flowers appear at the end of its shoot, forming a large bunch with hands. A couple of hands are the only ones that become fruits. Ripe plantains are yellow with a softer pulp than the immature green fruit. The plant is capable of growing up to 7-30 feet. Plantain leaves are more than two meters in length, making them larger and stronger than the typical banana leaves. Plantains’ color range is green to brown to yellow and is larger than the average banana. The fruit ranges between 3 to 10 inches or more in length. 

Plantains account for 85% of the global banana cultivation. Egypt plantains have a 0.2% market share in plantain exportation ranking at the thirty-eighth position. 

Egypt Horn plantains are long and stout. They have few hands and less than ten fingers on them. Given the said characteristic, this variety is not as prolific as other varieties. French plantains can either be medium or giant. 

Plantains are an all-season plant because they produce fruit all year round. The flowering requires mild temperatures (28°c – 32°c) and takes 10 to 15 months. Fruition, on the other hand, takes 4 to 8 months. They require light, well-draining soil, watering regularly or evenly distributed rainfall, frost and wind-free areas, and enough room to spread when growing. Access to sunlight also greatly favors its growing. 

It takes three months between the flowering and harvest periods. Characteristics like fruit diameter, fruit length, peel color, age of the plantain bunch, the shape (fullness), or angle of the fruit are observed to tell the fruit maturity. The harvest stage will depend on the destination of the produce. Local produce can be harvested at a more advance maturity stage compared to export produce, whereas export plantain gets harvested on the day of or that prior to shipment. However, the fruit is harvested when it is green in color so that it is able to withstand the rigorous process of handling and distribution. 

Harvesting is by cutting the pseudo stem around 2 meters from the ground, which makes the plant bend over, given the weight of the plantain bunch. The bunch is then cut off, cleaned and graded based on quality requirements from different markets. The produce is packed in ventilated cartons and exported. The optimal storage and transportation should be between 12°c and 14°c to delay ripening. 

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