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--Introduction. In Southern Cameroon, bananas and plantains (Musa) play an important role in the population's diet. There are many food uses of these crops relative to the eating habits of consumers. Our study was carried out in order to list the varieties of bananas and plantains mostly used by housewives and restaurant dealers and to describe the various culinary preparations used for their transformation. Methods. The processing and culinary methods of bananas and plantains, including the estimation as well as the measurement of the quantities of ingredients used, and the traditional utilisations of these foodstuffs, were investigated in two Cameroonian towns (Bafoussam and Yaoundé). Results. Some culinary preparations using different varieties are common in Southern Cameroon such as roasted or fried plantain, plantain chips, boiled plantain or banana and pounded plantain. They are eaten with various sauces, vegetables and other food complements. Other preparations found in these regions include stuffed plantain or banana, plantain or banana porridges and traditional recipes called kondre and malaxé. Preparation of chips, fried and roasted plantain are mainly carried out by women and young boys on the streets in an effort to diversify sources of income. These various transformation and uses of bananas and plantains contribute to the reduction of post-harvest losses as well as the valorisation of these perishable food stuffs. Conclusion. The evaluation of their nutrient composition (macro-and micronutrients) as well as the effects of culinary preparations and the bio-availability of those nutrients are being conducted at the CARBAP Post-Harvest Technology Laboratory in order to appreciate their contribution in the fight against malnutrition in some regions of Cameroon.Cameroon / Musa (bananas) / Musa (plantains) / post-harvest technology / food technology / cooking / feeding habits / feeding preferences / processing / ingredients Transformations et utilisations alimentaires des bananes et des plantains au Cameroun.Résumé --Introduction. Dans le sud du Cameroun, les bananes et les plantains (Musa) jouent un rôle important dans le régime alimentaire des populations. Il existe une grande diversité de préparation de ces produits en fonction des habitudes alimentaires des consommateurs. Notre étude visait à inventorier les variétés de bananes et de plantains les plus employées par les femmes au foyer et les restaurateurs, et à décrire les diverses préparations culinaires utilisées pour la transformation de leurs fruits. Méthodes. Les transformations des bananes et plantains et les techniques culinaires incluant aussi bien la nature des ingrédients utilisés que leurs quantités, de même que leurs utilisations traditionnelles, ont été étudiées dans deux villes camerounaises (Bafoussam et Yaoundé). Résultats. Quelques préparations culinaires utilisant différentes varié-tés sont apparues communes dans le sud du Cameroun ; c'est le cas, par exemple, du plantain rôti ou frit, des chips de plantain, du plantain ou...

The influence of the stage of ripening of the fruit of cultivars of plantain (French Sombre) and some cooking bananas (Dwarf Kalapua and Bluggoe) on the sensory and physico-chemical characteristics of processed products was evaluated. Chips made from these cultivars at corresponding stages of ripeness had water contents less than 20 g kg −1 for fruits at stages 1 and 3 and less than 60 g kg −1 for those at stages 4 and 5. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the ash contents of chips at different stages of ripeness for all the cultivars. Protein contents increased with increasing ripeness for all the cultivars; the fat contents decreased with increasing ripeness and varied from one cultivar to another. The available food energy was more than 4840 kcal kg −1 of chips for all the cultivars at all stages of ripeness. The best chips were obtained from fruits at stages 1 and 3. Flours obtained from the fruits of these cultivars at different stages of ripeness had water contents lower than 60 g kg −1 . The fat, ash and protein contents were low, while the carbohydrate contents were high. For all the cultivars the yields of chips and flour were higher for the plantain cultivar (French Sombre) than for the cooking banana cultivars, irrespective of the stage of ripeness of the fruits. Cakes made from the different flours had good nutritional quality. The cakes and chips submitted for sensory evaluation were all accepted by consumers, although to differing extents. Fruits at stages 1 and 3 of ripeness which presented fewer problems during drying were the most suitable for the manufacture of flour for making cakes.

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