By Carla Rubio

Specific to Latin culture, plantains have a variety of delicious ways to be cooked—not to be confused with bananas. The fruit highlighted in the chorus of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” is sweeter, softer, and best eaten when raw. 

Plantains, however, are incredibly versatile because they are not eaten right away, which leads us to the question: What exactly is the best way to eat plantains?

Starting with the most straightforward, there’s the method of chopping and frying the plantain as is. It’s savory, a bit dry, and just basic.

Now, the real star is your classic sweet fried plantains—a staple in any Cuban dish—more commonly known as maduros. These, as opposed to a normal fried plantain, are made when the plantain is fully ripe, which gives it the sweetness we all know and love. 

The underdogs in this story are the tostones. These are mashed plantain slices fried not once, but twice, giving it the mouth-watering crunchy texture. Made in its unripe, hard, green state, the dish is often sliced, fried on both sides, smashed, and deep fried once more until the skin takes on a rich, golden shade. 

Plantain chips are very much common and in demand among local consumers, they can be found almost anywhere. Addictively delicious, it often serves as the perfect snack for any party or social events. The ideal texture of one should be that of a light green color — firm, silk with the slices, and easy to peel.

Plantain soup (Sopa de platano), on the other hand, only requires a handful of other ingredients like stock and onions. Moreso, the maker has every opportunity to experiment with a load of different ingredients to make the soup taste unique and even better. The savory, subtle-banana flavored dish is best served warm for an additional refreshing, energizing effect. 

Plantains are even mixed and boiled along with rice to give it more flavor or mashed with garlic and pork to make mofongo, a Puerto Rican dish. Mashed with salt, garlic, and broth, the dish morphs from a green vegetable to a golden delicacy.

The point should be clear by now after repeating the word plantain so many times. There are so many ways to cook the fruit that it’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite. Even better, they are cheap and healthy — a clear winner in its entirety.