This is a bit on the late side for this thread....but better late than never, right?
Just found out, from y'all, the correct i.d. of my established clump of Orinoco, and, that they are a popular cooking banana. So......in the spirit of experimentation, today Sept. 25, I harvested right off the living stalk, a single, green, full-sized fruit today. My live-in chef, hubby Rex, peeled it, sliced it in 1/4" rounds, and fried it in butter in a hot iron skillet. Our impression: Raw, this fruit is so astringent and bitter it's a like a green persimmon in your mouth. Pucker city. But fried.....I dare any given blindfolded American to tell it's not a French-fried potato. Pretty identical flavor. I can see why it's popular prepared this way. But for us, we prefer a sweeter, more sweet potato-like fried chip or round, for inclusion in a burrito. So we'll keep experimenting, with different stages of ripeness, cooked pretty much the same way. Hope this post was helpful!
Miriam and Rex, Baton Rouge LA