Banana Cue — caramel-glazed saba banana skewers

i. Origin & history

Banana cue is Filipino through and through. Its foundation is the saba banana (also called cardaba), a short, thick, angular cooking banana that is one of the most widely grown and eaten bananas in the country. Saba is firmer and starchier than a dessert banana and holds its shape when cooked, which is why it is fried, boiled, stewed in syrup and added to halo-halo across the islands.

The origin of the name is the most-asked question about it. 'Banana cue' (also spelled banana-Q) borrows from 'barbecue' — in the Philippines, barbecue means small pieces of marinated meat grilled on bamboo skewers and sold at roadside stalls. Banana cue is skewered and sold in the same way, at the same stalls and carts, so the name was a natural joke that stuck. It is a good example of Filipino English wordplay, and it has a sibling in camote cue, sweet potato cooked the same way.

There is no recorded date or inventor, but frying bananas with sugar is an obvious idea in a country with abundant saba and cane sugar, and banana cue has been a staple street food for generations. It became associated in particular with the vendors who set up outside schools, churches and offices in the afternoon, selling hot banana cue alongside turon and camote cue from the same wok.

It is cheap, filling and eaten mostly as merienda, the mid-afternoon snack that is almost a meal in its own right in Filipino life. Its close relatives are turon, saba wrapped in spring-roll wrapper and fried with sugar, and banana lumpia, as well as maruya, banana fritters.

ii. How the sugar coats the banana in hot oil

The method looks almost magical: brown sugar is scattered straight into the hot oil around the frying bananas, where it melts into a dark caramel that clings to the fruit. It works because sugar does not dissolve in oil. Dropped into oil at around 160–170 °C, the sugar crystals sink, melt and caramelise into a liquid layer, and when the bananas are rolled through it, the caramel sticks to their moist, starchy surface rather than to the oil.

Timing is crucial. The bananas go in first and fry for a few minutes until their surface begins to colour and dry out slightly; a dry surface holds the caramel better. Then the sugar goes in. As soon as it melts and turns amber, the bananas need constant turning so they coat evenly before the caramel burns. Too early and the sugar burns before the bananas are cooked; too late and the bananas overcook while the caramel is still forming.

The heat must be moderate, not high. Above about 180 °C the sugar goes from amber to bitter-black in seconds. Banana cue should be a deep, glossy brown, with the coating set crisp once cool, not sticky or burnt.

The banana's ripeness matters too. Saba should be ripe — yellow, perhaps with a few brown spots — but still firm. Underripe saba is starchy and bland; overripe saba turns mushy and falls apart in the oil.

iii. Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 8 ripe saba bananas, peeled
• 150 g dark brown or muscovado sugar
• 500 ml neutral oil, for frying
• 8 bamboo skewers
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Saba bananas are sold fresh or frozen in Filipino and Asian shops, sometimes labelled 'cardaba' or 'cooking banana'. The best substitute is a ripe but firm plantain, cut into thick chunks; ordinary dessert bananas are too soft and fall apart. Use dark brown sugar for the classic deep colour and molasses flavour. A neutral oil such as vegetable, sunflower or canola is best; coconut oil adds a pleasant aroma. Sesame seeds are a common topping in some regions.

iv. Method

1. Peel the bananas and pat them dry. Leave them whole if small; halve large ones crossways.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or deep, heavy pan to about 165 °C, when a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.
3. Fry the bananas for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly golden and starting to soften.
4. Sprinkle the sugar evenly into the oil around the bananas. It will sink and melt within a minute.
5. As the sugar melts and darkens to amber, turn the bananas continuously with tongs or a slotted spoon for 2–3 minutes, rolling them through the caramel until evenly coated and glossy brown.
6. Lift the bananas out, letting excess oil drain, and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using, while still sticky.
7. Skewer two pieces on each stick while warm. Leave for 2–3 minutes for the caramel to firm up, then serve.

v. Tips & common mistakes

• Dry the bananas first. Water spits violently in hot oil and stops the caramel from sticking.
• Add the sugar after the bananas. Sugar added to empty oil burns before the bananas are cooked.
• Keep the heat moderate. Caramel goes from amber to burnt in seconds above 180 °C; turn the heat down as soon as it colours.
• Keep the bananas moving. Constant turning gives an even coat and prevents dark patches where the bananas sit in caramel.
• Drain on baking paper, not kitchen towel. Caramel glues itself to paper towels.
• Clean the wok while it is warm. Leftover caramel sets hard; soak with hot water straight away.

vi. Variations

Camote cue uses thick slices of sweet potato instead of banana. Turon wraps saba and jackfruit in a spring-roll wrapper before frying in sugar. Maruya is a fritter of sliced bananas in batter. Some vendors sprinkle sesame seeds on the caramel, and home cooks sometimes add a pinch of salt to the sugar.

For other fried and caramelised bananas, see turon, banana lumpia, Indonesian-style baked banana fritters and the American bananas Foster. For a Vietnamese banana cake, try bánh chuối.

vii. Serving & storage

Banana cue is eaten warm, straight off the skewer, as an afternoon snack. It needs no accompaniment, though many people like it with a cold drink such as sago't gulaman or iced tea. Wait a minute or two after frying — the caramel is extremely hot.

It is best eaten within an hour or two, while the coating is crisp. Leftovers soften as the caramel absorbs moisture; reheat them in a hot oven or air fryer for 3–5 minutes to refresh. Banana cue does not freeze well.

ix. More from Filipino

• Turon — banana spring rolls
• Banana Lumpia — fried banana rolls
• Halo-Halo — Filipino shaved ice
• Taho — silken tofu with syrup
• Bananas Foster — flambéed bananas
• Bánh Chuối — Vietnamese banana cake