2025 Banana Festival Cook-Off: Stellar Banana Peel Pupu and Other Wonders

This year’s cook-off contest had 16 entries vying for awards in four categories: pupu, savory, dessert, and drinks. James Beard award nominee Chef Hana Quon, whose delicacies are available at The Curb in Kaimuki, had the assignment of judging all entries according to five criteria: best use of banana, color/appearance/presentation, taste/flavor/aroma, creativity/originality, and overall impression.

Going away proud and happy was Carol Cancler, who won first place in the pupu category for her highly original and tasty ‘I’i Mai’a ‘I’o Banana Peel “Meatballs” (vegan). Given that Carol is a food scientist and chef, you might say that she has the perfect background for something so ‘ono and original.

In the savory category, Alice Liu took first place for her literally savory Braised Plantain & Pork Belly on Plantain Chips topped with Pickled Banana Florets dish. Alice acknowledges her mother for the basic pork belly recipe, but she added the great enhancement of plantain and banana florets.

Samantha Seligman took first place in desserts with a luscious Banana Foster Cheesecake. Baking a cheesecake is a bit of a twist for Samantha, who is known for turning out a wide variety of banana breads for her Hungry Monkey business.

The first-place award winners took home either a Patagonia backpack or a $100 gift certificate for FarmLink Hawai’i. There was no first-place winner in the drinks category, and no entries in the flower category this year.

Cook-Off Winners

Pupu

• 1st Place: Carole Cancler, Banana Peel Meatballs
• 2nd Place: Nat Bletter, Dried Spiced Balsamic Bananas
• 3rd Place: Henry Kisitu, Ugandan Kabalaga (pancakes)

Savory

• 1st Place: Alice Liu, Braised Plantain & Pork Belly
• 2nd Place: Federika Bain, Green Banana “Potato” Salad
• 3rd Place: Ahmed Xallen, Plantain and Black Bean Tlacoyo with Salsa Verde

Dessert

• 1st Place: Samantha Seligman, Banana Foster Cheesecake
• 2nd Place: Paula Kelly, Banana Bliss Tapioca Crunch
• 3rd Place: Maya Cavallaro, Caramelized Date and Banana Cookies

Drinks

• 3rd Place: Krystal Kakimoto, Matcha Mai‘a Dream

Our winners took home prizes from Patagonia, Ulu Mana, Farm Link, Kualoa Ranch Store, and Island Boy.

Take a look now at the bananas in your kitchen or your backyard and start scheming for your breakout, prize-winning dish at the 2026 Banana Festival Cook-off!

Recipes

Braised Plantain & Pork Belly on Plantain Chips topped with Pickled Banana Florets

Alice Liu, 1^st Place Savory

Ingredients

• 2 green plantains, cubed
• 1 lb pork belly, cut into chunks
• 3 tbsp each: sugar, oyster sauce, seafood soy sauce
• Aromatics: fresh ginger slices, garlic cloves, star anise, bay leaves, five-spice powder, shallots
• Sweet & Tangy pickled banana florets (for garnish)
• Coconut oil-fried plantain chips (for plating)

Instructions

1. Braise the Plantain & Pork Belly: Heat oil in a pan, add pork belly, plantain, ginger, garlic, star anise, bay leaves, five-spice, sugar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Cover with water and simmer 40 minutes, until tender.
2. Prepare the Hash: Remove pork and plantains, finely chop with shallots, cilantro into a coarse hash.
3. Assemble the Dish: Place coconut oil-fried plantain chips on a plate, top with the pork-plantain hash, and finish with sweet & tangy pickled banana blossom florets.

‘I’i Mai’a ‘I’o
Banana Peel Meatballs

Carole Cancler, 1^st Place Pupu

Ingredients

• 4-6 barely ripe apple bananas (1¼ to 1½ cups chopped peels)
• ½ cup chopped (about ¼ medium) onion
• ½ cup chopped (about ½ medium) carrot
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, soaked 10 minutes in 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon (pinch) ground nutmeg
• 1 cup panko flakes

Instructions

1. Wash bananas. Trim and discard both ends. Cut in half lengthwise. Remove peel, reserving flesh for banana ketchup or another use. Coarsely chop the peels.
2. Add to a food processor bowl the chopped banana peels, chopped onion, shredded carrot, and minced garlic. Pulse 30-40 times, scraping down every 5-10 pulses, until ingredients are blended and finely ground.
3. Add the flour, soaked flaxseed, salt, oregano, paprika, cumin, pepper, and nutmeg. Process until mixture is smooth.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Fold in panko until evenly combined. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Form chilled mixture into small (1-inch) “meatballs” and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, rotating the pan after 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature with banana ketchup (3 ketchup recipes follow).

Three Banana Ketchups

To serve with Banana Peel "Meatballs"

American-style banana ketchup

(purplish red, makes about 1⅓ cups)

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped (2-3 apple) bananas
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• ½ cup cane vinegar
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Pinch (⅛ teaspoon) ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Using a blender or stick blender, purée bananas, brown sugar, tomato sauce, vinegar, spices, and salt into a thin sauce.
2. In a small, heavy saucepan, bring sauce to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often to prevent sticking and burning. Cook 20-30 min, until mixture has darkened and reduced to a thick sauce.
3. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 month.

Filipino-style banana ketchup

(yellow, makes about 2 cups)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ⅔ medium onion, grated
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups chopped (4-6 apple) bananas
• ½ cup cane vinegar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion with its juice and sauté about 10 minutes, until liquid evaporates, onion begins to stick to the pan, and browns lightly.
2. Stir in ginger and garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add turmeric, allspice, cayenne, and tomato paste, and stir until well combined.
3. Add bananas, vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Using a potato masher, poi pounder, or large spoon, stir and mash bananas until mixture is hot, blended, and chunky. Reduce heat to lowest setting. Cover and cook gently 10 minutes.
4. Uncover and stir. Mash any remaining large pieces of banana.
5. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 month.

Sweet-hot banana ketchup

(bright orange red, makes about 1¾ cups)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup grated sweet onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup chopped (2-3 apple) bananas
• ½ cup chopped roast red pepper
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup cane vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic about 3 minutes, or until beginning to soften.
2. Add bananas, roasted red pepper, brown sugar, vinegar, paprika, and cayenne. Using a stick blender, purée to a uniform, but grainy sauce.
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer uncovered, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking and burning. Cook 10-15 min, until sauce has darkened and reduced to a thick sauce.
4. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 month.

Banana Foster Cheesecake

Samantha Seligman, 1^st Place Desserts

This recipe takes the classic flavors of Banana Foster and combines them with a rich, creamy cheesecake. The result is a stunning dessert that is both familiar and exciting, with a caramelized banana topping.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 1 and ½ cups (155g) Nilla Wafer crumbs
• ⅓ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 4 Tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake Filling:

• 3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup sour cream
• 3 ripe banana (local Nam Wah variety), roasted and mashed

For the Banana Foster Topping:

• 5 ripe bananas (local Nam Wah variety), sliced
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Prepare the Crust: Preheat oven to 325°F. In a food processor, crush the Nilla Wafers into a fine crumb. In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool. Once the crust is cooled, increase the oven temperature to 400°F for the roasting step.
2. Roast the Banana for the Filling: Place one banana on a small baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes or until the skin is completely black and leaking juices from the sides. Remove from the oven, peel, and mash the roasted banana in a bowl with a fork. Set aside to cool while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
3. Make the Filling: In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until just combined after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract, sour cream, and the mashed roasted banana. If you want an even stronger banana flavor, add the banana extract as well. Pour the filling over the cooled crust.
4. Bake the Cheesecake: Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (). Wrap the bottom of the springform pan in aluminum foil to prevent water from entering. Place the pan in a large roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with about 1 inch of hot water. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the center is set but still has a slight jiggle. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and water bath, then let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before adding the topping.
5. Prepare the Topping: Just before serving, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced bananas and brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the bananas are caramelized. If using, carefully add the rum and a touch the flame to the mixture to flambé, being cautious. (Alternatively, you can skip the flambé and just let the alcohol cook out for a few seconds.) Sprinkle with cinnamon and stir to combine.
6. Assemble and Serve: Carefully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Spoon the warm Banana Foster topping over the top of the chilled cheesecake. Serve immediately.

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can prepare the cheesecake up to two days in advance. Follow all steps up to step 5. Store the cheesecake and topping covered tightly separately in the refrigerator. Before serving warm up the topping in the microwave 30-60 seconds or on a pan and then continue to step 6.

Pro-Tip

For extra flair, you can garnish with a dollop of whipped cream.