Banana Heart Kinilaw

Fernando “Fern” Aracama is a well-known chef in Manila. This is one of his favorite side dishes at home. He explains how the banana heart is treated in his house:

The pakla (astringent or bitter) aftertaste of the banana heart is a fickle issue. Some people find it overbearing, but most don’t. Our family cook doesn’t thread the hearts (a process that makes the heart easier to cook and eat). Threading is usually done if the he