Banana Days in Berlin

German banana consumption has nearly doubled in the last year, largely because people in the former East Germany are gobbling up all the bananas they can. You can’t blame them--they couldn’t get bananas before unification, and soon the supply of cheap, high-quality Central American bananas will dry up. The European Economic Community is going to impose quotas and tariffs to benefit the banana-producing former colonies of England and France.

Send a Pinot to Monaco, a Sauvignon to Gabon

Now you can easily have California wine (from two to a dozen bottles per order) shipped anywhere in the world--anywhere that wine is legal, that is. Napa Valley Winery Exchange, which is also a retail shop in San Francisco, can advise in selection as well: Call (800) 653-WINE or FAX (415) 441-WINE.

For Faster Cooking, Turn Up the Sun

About 250,000 people around the world cook with heat from the sun instead of fire or electricity. The technique has special appeal in fuel-poor but sunlight-rich countries such as India, which has 40% of the world’s solar cooks, but interest is growing. You can buy a portable solar box cooker ($50, plus tax and shipping) or plans for making one ($5, ditto) from Solar Box Cookers International, 1724 11th St., Sacramento, Calif. 95814.

Chipping Away

Here’s a major indulgence: an automatic potato chip maker. You put a potato, or similar vegetable such as a sweet potato, into the machine, and in a little while out comes a handful of freshly fried chips. You control the type of oil, the degree of browning and the amount of salt and seasonings, making the chips as healthful or flavorful as you want. You can get it from Hammacher Schlemmer, (800) 543-3366, for $299.95, plus tax and shipping. (Using a knife and pot of oil is, of course, a lot cheaper.)

The Pickle Peril

A study of Hong Kong Chinese, who eat great quantities of pickled vegetables, showed that the risk of contracting cancer of the esophagus rises with increased pickle consumption. Other esophageal risk factors: alcohol, smoking, and swallowing extremely hot drinks and soups.

The Land of Wonder

The meat pie is, more or less, the national dish of Australia. The approved way of serving it involves inserting the tip of a squeeze bottle through the crust and squirting ketchup inside just before eating it so you don’t burn your mouth. Another accepted garnish is mashed canned peas.