Why cook green plantains?
Many cookbooks and chefs recommend cooking green plantains before eating them. Is it just because of all the starch? Or are there any toxins as in sprouting potatoes? Does the ratio of amylose to amylopectin have anything to do with the recommendation?
Best Answer
According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) "Banana and plantain do not contain significant levels of any toxic principles." Raw, unripe plantains can be difficult to digest, especially if eaten in large quantities. Doing so can lead to upset stomach. This may be due to the fact that they contain starches resistant (RS2) to digestive enzymes, compounds that inhibit salivary amylase production, and significant quantities of amylose.
Raw, unripe plantains and bananas also have a starchy or waxy texture and a bitter flavor which can be unpalatable.
Pictures about "Why cook green plantains?"
Quick Answer about "Why cook green plantains?"
Unlike bananas, unripe green plantains are incredibly starchy– more like a raw potato. They must be cooked in order to be eaten and enjoyed.Are green plantains good to cook?
They are cooked in a variety of ways, from boiled and mashed to deep-fried, and are part of savory dishes and desserts. Both unripe and ripe plantains are used; unripe are green or yellow in color and difficult to peel, the fruit hard with a starchy flavor, making them perfect for boiling and frying.Why must plantains be cooked?
The plantain is a starchy cousin of the banana, and all that added starch means it almost always needs to be cooked before it can be eaten.Do you fry green or yellow plantains?
Plantains can be cooked when they're green or yellow but, for frying, they're best when they're mostly black with a little bit of yellow still left. I once tried frying plantains when they were still mostly yellow with a few black spots, and they were a little on the dry side and not as flavorful.Is green plantain better than ripe plantain?
Related Foods Depending on their ripeness, plantains will also vary nutritionally, the major difference being that ripe plantains will be higher in sugar, and green plantains will be higher in starch.HOW TO FRY GREEN PLANTAINS || THE BEST AND SIMPLEST WAY || JAMAICAN STYLE
More answers regarding why cook green plantains?
Answer 2
If you eat a brown very ripe Plantain, they taste just like a banana. Any plantain that is green or yellow, will taste better peeled and cooked.Be sure to use a peeler for this as it is almost impossible to take the skin off of an unripe plantain.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Engin Akyurt, Engin Akyurt, Dana Tentis, Pixabay