I’m taking my time to write about plantains because I know not all in United States have eaten it, some have never even seen plantains. One woman from Massachusetts for example, who saw Plantain in New York for the first time, exclaimed ‘wow these bananas are big’. I couldn’t help not laughing because it was hilarious really. So they don’t have plantains in Massachusetts? I thought. Well the truth is that there’re plantains everywhere but a few may not have eaten it. Plantain may not be grown all over America but I’m sure it is grown in Florida because of the high humidity and temperature. After it is harvested, it is made available everywhere in United States. So if you have never eaten it, what have you been waiting for? Plantain is a crop that you should not miss. Plantain is tasty and has different ways it can be eaten. Alright before I teach you the various manner of preparing plantain, let’s see what plantain is.

Below are pictures of unripe Plantain and ripe Plantain

What is Plantain?

Plantain is a crop from the Genus Musa. It is green when unripe, yellow when ripe, but nearly over brown when overripe. It is commonly found in Southern United States, Southern Brazil, Northern California Nigeria, Caribbean, Bolivia, Columbia, Egypt, Ghana, Peru, and Ecuador. Plantain is different from its sister crop- banana. Though they have the same shape and texture, plantain is usually bigger and less sugary. You can eat banana without having to cook it but plantain mostly is cooked before taken into the stomach.

Methods of preparing Plantain

Plantain can be eaten in the following ways;

• By boiling
• By frying in hot oil
• By roasting

By Boiling:

The most common way of eaten Plantain is by boiling it. In this case you just slice it and put in a pot of water to boil. Boiled plantain can be eaten with egg-sauce stew, or in potage form. I especially like plantain potage because of the feel of delicious thick soup in my mouth. When I’m making Plantain potage, I endeavor to use enough stock fishes, if you do not have stock fishes anywhere around you, you can opt for oysters. But ensure that the plantain is unripe. Using ripe Plantain will only sweeten your meal as if you had added sugar.

 Boiled plantain

By frying in hot oil

This form of eating Plantain is very common among Africans especially Nigerians. To eat Plantain in this form, you’d need to place a pot of oil to heat. While it is heating, slice the Plantain into slim sizes. Add a little salt before you throw into the hot oil and allow frying for 2-3 minutes. You can choose to fry either the unripe or the ripe Plantain. But when frying the ripe Plantain be careful so that you do not over fry.

 Fried plantain

By roasting

This form of eating Plantain is known as Bole. It is also very common among Africans. All you need to do is to roast Plantain in the same way rabbits are roasted. The plantain must be unripe or just a little bit ripe.

 Roast plantain (bole) and fish

Benefits of eating Plantain

• Plantain contains a good amount of dietary fiber which helps ensure healthy bowels and reduces constipation.
• Plantain has adequate amount of potassium which is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering negative effects of sodium.
• Plantain can serve as diuretic and can help prevent kidney and bladder problems.
• Plantain is a very good source of starch and energy.
• Plantain has more vitamin A than bananas. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin A plays a vital role in the visual cycle, maintaining healthy mucus membranes, and enhancing skin complexion.
• Unripe Plantain increases the potency of a man. In fact if you over eat boiled unripe plantain before you go to bed, your briefs will be wet by the next morning.
• Plantain has adequate vitamin C which helps the body to develop resistance against harmful oxygen-free radicals.
• For the diabetic, unripe Plantain does not spike up sugar level. So you can eat as much as you like.
• Unripe Plantain is a rich source of iron and zinc.
• Plantain also contains folates, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin. Folates are essential for healthy pregnancy.
• Plantains also provide adequate levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has a cardiac-protective role as well.

Enjoy a plantainful life!