Plantain Power: Exploring the Versatile Flavors of Dominican Cuisine
In the Dominican Republic, the plantain is not a side dish that occasionally appears. It is the backbone of the daily meal, appearing at breakfast, lunch, and dinner in forms that range from starchy and savory to caramelized and sweet. A single fruit, depending on its ripeness, can become the creamy mash of mangú, the crisp crunch of tostones, or the soft, dark sweetness of maduros. The Spanish priest Rev. Father Tomas de Berlanga first brought plantain roots to the island of Santo Domingo in 1516, and the fruit has since become so central to Dominican cooking that a