In Brazil, there are many fruits that can be used for the
preparation of fermented-distilled beverages (spirits). The
banana stands out among these fruits because of its abundance and relatively high concentration of fermentable
sugars (Silva, 2004). Banana is a highly available
agricultural residue in Brazil, but seems to be underutilized
as a potential growth medium for local yeast
strains, despite its high content of carbohydrate and other
essential nutrients that can support yeast growth. The
use of bananas for the production of spirits, in addition to
utilizing the surplus fruit and the stills during the periods
between sugarcane harvesting seasons, may provide a
new product to the market. Although still unfamiliar to the
market, this product may have good prospects because
of the growing recognition of the quality of Brazilian
beverages, especially cachaça (Stanislau et al., 2006).
According to Emaga et al. (2007), plantain peel is also
rich in starch. During maturation, its soluble sugar content
increases and starch content decreases due to the action
of endogenous enzymes.