lb. plantains or green bananas

Plantains (Musa × paradisiaca) are starchy banana cultivars that remain firm and low in sugar content even when fully ripe, distinguishing them from dessert bananas. Native to Southeast Asia and subsequently spread throughout tropical regions, plantains are larger and more angular than common bananas, with thicker skins that range from green to yellow to black depending on ripeness. The flesh is denser and less sweet, with a subtle potato-like quality when raw. Green bananas (immature Musa acuminata) are undersized relatives harvested before the characteristic yellow coloration develops; they share plantains' firm texture and starchy profile, though generally smaller in size.

Both are staple carbohydrates in African, Caribbean, Latin American, and South Asian cuisines, where they are valued for their culinary versatility across savory and sweet applications.

Plantains and green bananas are central to cuisines where they function primarily as starches rather than fruits. Green or yellow plantains are boiled, fried as chips (tostones or patacones), mashed into fufu or mofongo, or sautéed as side dishes. Ripe (black-skinned) plantains are often fried, baked, or mashed into sweet preparations. Green bananas are similarly boiled as a staple starch, roasted, or incorporated into savory stews and curries in Caribbean and West African cooking. Both are essential in Caribbean, Central American, West African, and South Asian cooking traditions, paired with proteins, legumes, and aromatic vegetables.