When one reflects on the banana as food, several key foods come to mind- banana bread, bananas foster, and the king of sundaes, the banana split. South of the United States, plantains are an important part of Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Latin American fare. Whatever the origins, bananas and plantains are far too versatile to be ignored in the kitchen.

Cavendish No More?

Picture a banana in your head. More likely than not, that mental image is of the Cavendish banana, a cultivar bred for durability (and not particularly for taste). The Cavendish is a polyploid breed- it has extra chromosomes in its genetic makeup, making the plant more durable. However, the Cavendish will most likely not be the most common banana in the near future.

In the 1950's, the most common banana export was the Gros Michel; however, a banana-unfriendly fungus known as Panama disease wiped Big Mike off the map. A new strain of Panama disease, called tropical race four, has recently begun to attack the Cavendish cultivar. Since Panama disease is resistant to fungicides, the Cavendish may soon be replaced by a different type of banana in world trade.

Cooking with Plantains

The plantain is starchier and less sweet than your everyday banana, making it less suitable for raw eating (unless very ripe) and much more suitable for use in cooking.

If you've never done yourself the favor of trying Carribean cuisine, you'll be amazed at what can be done with a single ingredient. Plantains can be cooked at any stage of ripeness, and the difference in flavor between a fried green plantain and a fried ripe one is subtle and fantastic.

Preparation is very simple. Tostones are green plantains, cut into one-inch diagonal slices, and fried in oil until brown; then they are flattened and fried again. Without further addition, these are delectable; however, traditional Dominican tostones are topped with sour cream and red or black caviar. The Venezuelan version, called patacones, are treated more like tostadas and are covered with shredded meat, cheese, and chopped lettuce.

Maduros, on the other hand, are very ripe- so ripe that the skin of the plantain is brown to black- and the slices are fried once until golden brown. Traditionally, these are served plain.

You can also slice green plantains very thin and deep-fry them to make chips; I find these superior to potato chips (especially with a little lime juice and salt).