Going bananas in East Africa (literature and beyond)

Abstract

During the last centuries, domestication and cultivation of several varieties of banana in East Africa have influenced economic strategies almost everywhere. Different innovations in subsistence strategies took place in different parts of Africa. My article aims to examine the dynamics of these process in East African countries, and in particular in Tanzania, where banana has become the first source of subsistence for many people. The focus is on three ethnic groups based in Tanzania, namely the Wachagga, Wahaya and Wanyakyusa. Among these groups bananas and plantains have assumed a symbolical function in many aspects of their economic, social and spiritual life

Keywords

• plantain
• banana
• banana eaters
• east african highland banana
• mgomba
• ndizi