Serves: 4
Total Calories: 602

4 bananas
4 tablespoons oils
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon vinegar

1. Peel bananas cut either in half lengthwise, or in quarters.

2. Heat oil and, over low heat, pan-fry bananas until lightly browned.

3. Meanwhile, combine sugar, water and vinegar in a saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring, until mixture spins a thread when a small amount is dropped into cold water.

4. Dip bananas in hot syrup to coat and place on an oiled platter then dip in ice water to crystallize. (See steps 5 and 6 in recipe above.)

5. Rub a serving platter generously with peanut oil (to keep the fruit from sticking). Transfer bananas and syrup to the serving platter and fan a few times to cool slightly.

6. Serve accompanied by a large bowl of water, containing ice cubes. To eat: the diner picks up each banana with a fork, tongs or chopsticks and dips it briefly in the ice water to crystallize the sugar and thus harden the syrup. (The fruit inside will remain warm.)

NOTE: These are also called Bananas in Silk Thread.

VARIATIONS:
* In step 2, add to the oil 1 teaspoon sugar.
* In step 3, substitute the following syrup ingredients: 2/3 cup brown sugar, 2/3 cup vinegar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 slice fresh ginger root, minced. Then slowly bring to a boil, stirring, and cook 2 minutes. Pour syrup over the bananas in their pan cook 2 minutes more over low heat. Then dip coated bananas in ice water.

The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 602
Calories from Fat: 135

More Recipes from the Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook Cookbook:
*Sweet Dishes
Almond Cookies
Almond Float I
Almond Float II
Banana Gelatin
Eight Precious Pudding
Eight Precious Pudding: Fruit and Nut Combinations
Eight Precious Pudding: Sweetened Water
Ginger Soup
Ginger Soup: Dumplings
Glazed Chestnut Balls
Glazed Whole Chestnuts
Green Pea Pudding
Honeyed Apples
Honeyed Apples: Syrup Mixture A
Honeyed Apples: Syrup Mixture B
Honeyed Apples: Syrup Mixture C
Honeyed Bananas
Honeyed Crab Apples
Hot Lotus Tea
Peking Dust I
Peking Dust II
Peking Dust: Glazed Fruit
Pineapple Gelatin
Sesame Seed Cookies
Spiced Roasted Peanuts
Steamed Pears
Steamed Red Date Cake
Steamed Sponge Cake
Sugared Chestnut Balls
Sugared Walnuts
Sweet Almond Tea I
Sweet Almond Tea II
Sweet Almond Tea III
Sweet Grapefruit Tea
Sweet Orange Tea I
Sweet Orange Tea II
Sweet Peanut Soup
Sweet Pineapple Tea
Sweet Walnut Tea
Sweetened Water
Turkish Barley Pudding
Water Chestnut Pudding