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Green bananas are unripe bananas used in cuisines worldwide. They have a firmer texture and a starchy, mildly astringent taste compared to their ripe counterparts.


Around the world


Africa

In East Africa, a starchy triploid banana cultivar originating from the African Great Lakes, known as " matoke," is harvested while still green and used in various dishes.


Caribbean

In certain Caribbean countries like
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
,
Saint Lucia Saint Lucia is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. Part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Saint Vincent ...
and
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
, green bananas are called green figs. The term "green fig" is employed to distinguish unripe or green bananas from their ripe, yellow counterparts. In these regions, green figs are often featured in various dishes and are typically prepared differently than ripe bananas.


Latin America

''Guineos'' (pronounced ) usually refers to an unripe banana. The term ''guineo'' is sometimes used in reference to its ripened counterpart: the yellow (ripened) banana. The word ''guineo'' comes from
Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
, a country in West Africa, as it is one of the places from which bananas originate. Some make a distinction between the two and refer to green bananas as ''guineos verdes'' (green bananas) and yellow bananas as ''guineos'' (ripe bananas). ''Guineos'' are not to be confused with plantains, which are far starchier than the ''guineo'' and cannot be used in the same ways. ''Guineos'' are used widely in Latin American cooking as they are versatile, inexpensive, and filling.


El Salvador

Bananas, whether green or ripe, are called ''guineos'' in El Salvador and
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
. ''Guineos'' are a popular fruit in the country and are used for the popular dessert 'chocobanano', which is a frozen ''guineo'' covered in chocolate, sprinkles, or other toppings.


Puerto Rico

In
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, green bananas are used in dishes such as ''viandas'' con '' ajilimójili'', '' pasteles'', '' sopa de mondongo'' and '' sancocho''. There are also many other dishes on the island which use green bananas. Green banana flour is widely available throughout Puerto Rico, used for making pancakes, crêpes, waffles, cookies, cakes, tortillas, bread, and other pastries. * Alcapurrias – Classic fritters from Puerto Rico that have gained popularity through parts of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Green banana and yautía is considered the original ''alcapurria''. In addition to a pinch of salt, the dough may also incorporate small amounts of squash, lard, annatto, and garlic. They are filled with meat of choice and fried. Most traditionally, filling is diced potato with '' picadillo'', or seasoned corned beef. *Bolitas de Guineo – Green banana dumpling are made all over the Caribbean. Dough is made from grated green bananas mixed with flour and salt. It is then set aside for a few hours or over night. The dough is then made into small balls and dropped into boiling a soup or broth. * Escabeche – Green banana and chicken gizzards, pickled in a garlicky brine with bay leaves, garlic, olive oil, onions, and sliced or diced olives, among other ingredients. *Dumpling de Guineo – These savory dumplings are made from grated green banana mixed with rice flour or tapioca starch, eggs, garlic, cilantro, and parsley. They are rolled into small balls and deep-fried. They can be prepared a day in advance. The dumplings are made for soups such as '' asopao de gandules'' (pigeon peas and dumpling soup), ''ajo de pollo y huevo'' (garlic chicken and egg soup), and ''sopa de guineos'' (green banana soup). *Gandinga – A thick stew made with pork entrails as the main ingredient. Besides the pig's heart, kidneys, and liver, among other cuts/parts, this dish is prepared with ingredients such as manzanilla olives, sofrito, and capers. A classic plate serves ''gandinga'' with avocado and boiled green bananas on the side. The dish is important gastronomically in Afro-Puerto Rican culture, as historically, slaves were given limited food sources, usually consisting of rejected animal meats and parts, in addition to green bananas. *Guineos Verdes en Fricasé – Green bananas cooked in a spicy, tomato-based fricassee sauce with recaíto, capers, chilies, and olives. *Macabeos – Green bananas boiled and mashed with annatto oil and a small amount of uncooked green banana. They are then filled with the meat of choice, made into small balls, and deep-fried. This crescent-shaped banana fritter is found mainly in the town of '' Trujillo Alto'', which celebrates a m''acabeo'' festival each year. *Serenata de Bacalao – A warm ‘salad’ of green banana and salt cod (''bacalao'') with assorted seasonal tropical vegetables (such as cabbage, chayote, taro, yautía, yuca root, etc). The mixed vegetables are sliced, as well as the green bananas, and both are first sautéed with bell peppers, in plenty of olive oil, with vinegar added during cooking. The salted cod is shredded and mixed-in. The salad is then garnished with cilantro leaf, sliced boiled eggs, sliced avocado, and julienned onions.


References


External links

* {{Banana Puerto Rican cuisine Bananas Spanish words and phrases