Plantains

A plantain to the untrained eye could easily be mistaken for a banana. In fact, it belongs to Musaceae, the banana family of plants, and it's closely related to the common banana. Believed to be native to Southeast Asia, plantains are grown in tropical regions around the world and in a variety of cuisines. Unripe plantains are green to yellow, difficult to peel, and the fruit is hard with a starchy flavour - this is the perfect stage for boiling and frying them. When fully ripe, plantains are black, with a flavour that some people describe as similar to a banana but not as sweet. Most people prefer them cooked even at this stage.

When green, plantains are bland and starchy, much like a yuca root or potato. Medium ripe plantains are yellow or yellow dappled with black, and they are slightly sweet. When the skins have turned almost black, the plantains are fully ripe, aromatic, and sweet.

Plantains are good for you as they're low in fat and sodium with no cholesterol. They're also high in carbohydrates and a great source of potassium, magnesium, fiber, and vitamin C. A half-cup serving of cooked plantains has about 80 calories.