Plantains: What do you know about them?

August 13, 2025 • Read in 3 minutes

Dear Hyphenly Readers,

We’ve said it before: food is comfort, especially in immigrant communities.

Easy, delicious, and endlessly adaptable, plantains might already be a staple in your kitchen…or you’ve at least seen them at your local bodega or grocery store. But how much do you really know about them? 

Used in many cultures and countless dishes around the world, what exactly are plantains?

Plantains are part of the banana family, but unlike their sweeter cousins, they’re usually cooked before eating.  come in three stages of ripeness: 

  • Green (firm and starchy)

  • Yellow (slightly sweet)

  • Brown (super sweet and soft)

From simple fried plantains to elaborate traditional dishes, they are super versatile! High in potassium, low in fat, and rich in fiber, plantains are tasty and nutritious! 

Plantains have a deep, complex history tied to colonization. Spanish and Portuguese colonizers brought them from Africa to the Caribbean before and during the transatlantic slave trade. 

Today, they’re a key ingredient in West African, Caribbean, South American, and Southeast Asian cuisines. 

In what types of climate do plantains grow best?

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What West African dish can include plantains mixed with yams or other starchy vegetables?

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What traditional Haitian dish features twice-fried flattened green plantains, similar to tostones - the translation from Creole is “pressed bananas”?

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In Filipino cuisine, often sold by street vendors, this dish consists of sliced ripe plantains and jackfruit strips in a spring roll wrapper?

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Got feedback? We want to hear it! Also, let us know if you’re craving some plantain recipes for your next issue.

More cross-cultural food and drink stories on Immigrantly. Check out this episode, in which Saadia is joined by Lyana Blount, founder of Black Rican Vegan, in a conversation around veganism and Black identity.

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This newsletter was curated by Laïny Jernidier.

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