Plantain / Platanos
Every day trucks bring large quantities of plantain into the city. Plantain look like big, tough green bananas and grow in similar bunches. The trucks deliver them to open air stands as in the picture, to corner stores, and to larger groceries.
They are a staple starch food here. Tostones are a common way to serve them as a snack or side dish -- slice a green, unripe plantain crosswises and then squash and fry the slices (our daughter Natalia makes great tostones!). Another popular dish is
mangú -- boiled and mashed plantain usually served with sauteed onions at breakfast.
Mofongo is another popular plantain dish. It can be prepared plain with garlic and other spices, or with a meat or seafood stuffing. Plantain are versatile. The ripe, sweeter plantains can even be used in
desserts.
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