John Myers
The plantain (also known as the baking or vegetable banana) is an elongated, slightly curved fruit. It is larger and more angular than the widespread yellow fruit banana. Depending on the degree of ripeness, the skin is green to yellow with brown to black spots. The plantain skin is also slightly thicker and more difficult to remove.
Origin
East Africa, Thailand, Southeast Asia.
Taste
The flesh is white to yellow and has a sour taste. Plantains are mainly eaten cooked because they do not taste particularly sweet compared to fruit bananas.
Use
Plantains are served as a side dish boiled, fried, baked, grilled, or mashed like potatoes. To do this, remove the peel and cut the flesh either lengthways or into slices. They can also be served as an accompaniment to sweet dishes – or you can use them to prepare our fufu, an African porridge.
Storage
It is best to keep it at room temperature and not in the refrigerator, as the fruit does not tolerate temperatures below 8° C.
