Another common ingredient featured in Chamorro cooking is the chotda or the green banana. It is often cooked in coconut milk in a dish called gollai åppan chotda, or else it might be dipped in flour and fried to make banana fritters. In this post we will learn about the chotda (green banana) and go through three recipes that use either the green banana, or the aga’ (ripe banana). These selections are from the book Manmannge’ Na Nengkanno’ I Manchamorro Yan Taimanu Manmafa’tinas-niha written by Carmen C. Blas, which I found in the UOG Archives and Digital Collections website. This post includes the Chamorro text, an English translation, and a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!

CHOTDA 

Gof meggai na trongkon chotda Guam. Guaha manggof lå’la’, guaha ti manggof lå’la’. Gi talo’ yan i sanlagu na bånda giya Guam, ti meggai na taotao manmanånånom para mabende. Manmanånånom ha’ para siha ha’. Kada guaha taotao sumåsaga, guaha ha’ lokkue’ tinanom chotda para usu-ña ha’. 

Gi sanhaya na bånda giya Guam, meggai manmanånånom chotda para uson-ñiha yan para mabende. Este i chetda na tinanom, unu ha’ na rasimu siña tinekcha’-ña. Yanggen måsa i tinekcha’, måtai ha’ i trongko lao bula sinisu para u fangahulo’ para manmanokcha’ ta’lo. Yanggen måsa i chetda, ma’å’ålok aga’. 

GOLLAI ÅPAN CHOTDA (PAT AGA’) 

Lassas i chetda pat i aga’ ya un ipe’ talo’. Na’fanparehu påpa’ gi la’uya. Nå’yi asiga ni para u maolek ma’asen-ña, pat asukat yanggen ga’o-mu, pues nå’yi lechen niyok. Sigi ha’ muna’lågu asta ki apan. Guahi ya un kånno’. 

MADOYAN AGA’ 

Yanggen este måsa i aga’, dibåna, na’fananåkko’. Liti i arina yan i hanom månu nai maolek tine’ok-ña ni para u chetton gi aga’. Na’lågu i laña asta ki gof maipi. Yanggen esta listo i laña, supok i aga’ gi liniten arina ya un na’lågu. Yanggen esta agaga’, guahi ya un na’måpao, pues na u makånno’. 

INAFLITON CHOTDA 

Dibina i chetda månu i minalago’-mu. Aflitu gi mámaipi na låña asta ki tosta. Yanggen måsa, na’galilek gi atnibat. Guaha gumaiya ayu i mana’galilek gi asukat pat makalankani didide’ asiga. Taiguihi sabot-ña este i inafliton chotda yanggen ma’aflitu i lemmai pat i batåtas. 

GREEN BANANA 

There are a great many green banana trees on Guam. There are some that really thrive, and there are some that don’t really thrive. In the central and northern side on Guam, not a lot of people are planting to sell it. They are just planting for themselves. Wherever there is a person staying, there is also a green banana plant for just his/her use.

On the south side on Guam, many plant green banana for their use, and to sell. This, the green banana plant, has just one stem/branch that can bear its fruit. When the fruit is ripe, the tree will just die but there are many offshoots to rise up to produce fruit again. When the green banana is ripe, it is called a ripe banana.

GREEN BANANA COOKED IN COCONUT MILK (OR RIPE BANANA) 

Peel the green banana or the ripe banana, and split it in half. Make an even (layer) on the bottom in the cooking pot. Add the salt to make its saltiness good, or sugar if you prefer, then add the coconut milk. Continue to cook it until it is evaporated. Remove it from the heat and eat it.

FRIED (RIPE) BANANA FRITTER

If the (ripe) banana is ready to eat, slice it lengthwise. Stir the flour with water to a good thickness which will stick to the banana. Cook the oil until it is very hot. When the oil is already read, dunk the banana in the flour mix and cook it. When it is already red, remove it from the heat and cool it down, then thats when it will be eaten.

FRIED GREEN BANANA 

Slice the green banana how you want it. Fry it in very hot oil until it’s crisp. When it’s ready, roll it in syrup. There some who love that the rolled in sugar or sprinkled with a little bit of salt. The flavor of this fried green banana is like fried breadfruit or potatoes.

Source

Carmen C. Blas, “Manmannge’ Na Nengkanno’ I Manchamorro Yan Taimanu Manmafa’tinas-niha,” University of Guam Digital Archives and Exhibitions, accessed January 16, 2025, https://uogguafak.omeka.net/items/show/548.