Plantains• Type of banana• Grown in tropical climate;

believed to have originated in Malaysia or India (East Asia)

• Tree is actually a perennial herb; average height of 30 feet

• Slender fruits/fingers are seedless berries

• Curved because fruit tip grows upward against gravity

• Picked when green– When ripened - sweet– When eaten green –

starchy• Used as a vegetable in Latin

America and Africa

Plantains• Used as a fruit in other areas

of the world• Called the “potatoes of the air” • Has many medicinal benefits

– Treatment of GI disorders

– Treatment of Urinary tract ailments

• Color comes from carotenoids– excellent source of

betacarotene (an antioxidant and precursor to vitamin A)

How to cut green plantains

• Start by cutting off the tips of the green plantains

How to cut green plantains

• Run your knife along the length of the green plantain

• Make sure that you only cut the skin and not the flesh of the plantain

How to cut green plantains

• Gently peel the skin away from the flesh of the plantain

• Skin will peel off in strips

• Can be tough in certain areas

• Be careful not to damage the flesh of the plantain

How to cut green plantains

• Success!• Your plantain should

look something like this

• Then you will follow the rest of the recipe