Tostones (, from the Spanish verb ''tostar'' which means "to toast") are twice-fried plantain slices commonly found in

Latin American cuisine Latin American cuisine is the typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America. Latin America is a highly racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse with varying cuisines. Some i ...

and

Caribbean cuisine Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of West African cuisine, West African,"Cuisine."
(Caribbean.
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and

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, they are also known as ''tachinos'' or ''chatinos'' (Cuba), ''bannann peze'' (

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), ''patacones'' (in

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and

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) and, sometimes, ''patacón pisao'' in Colombia.

Preparation

Green (unripe) plantains are peeled, sliced lengthwise, diagonally, or widthwise, and then fried twice. The raw slices of plantains are fried for one to six minutes on each side until they are golden in color, and removed and patted to remove excess

cooking oil Cooking oil (also known as edible oil) is a plant or animal liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. Oil allows higher cooking temperatures than water, making cooking faster and more flavorful, while likewise distributing h ...

. Afterward, they are pounded flat with a hinged utensil made for the task, called a '' tostonera'', or less conveniently, with any kitchen utensil with a sufficiently large flat surface—for instance, between two plates. The flattened plantain slices are then fried once again until they are crisp and golden brown.

Serving

Tostones are salted and eaten much like

potato chips Potato chips (North American English and Australian English; often just chip) or crisp (British English and Hiberno-English) are thin slices of potato (or a thin deposit of potato paste) that has been deep frying, deep fried, baking, baked, ...

/crisps or

French fries French fries, or simply fries, also known as chips, and finger chips (Indian English), are '' batonnet'' or '' julienne''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and f ...

/chips. In some regions, it is customary to dip them in ''mojo'' (a

garlic sauce Garlic sauce is a sauce prepared using garlic as a primary ingredient. It is typically a pungent sauce, with the depth of garlic flavor determined by the amount of garlic used. The garlic is typically crushed or finely diced. Simple garlic sauce ...

) or ají. In

they are sometimes served with

hogao Hogao is a variant of Spanish sofrito and is typically used in Colombian cuisine. It is traditionally made with only long green onions and tomatoes, differing from guiso, which can also be made with round onions, garlic, cumin, salt In ...

sauce or topped with seasoned shredded beef. In

, they are often eaten with a paste-like dip made from black beans. In the

, they are commonly served with fresh lime wedges to squeeze over them and salt for sprinkling. In

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on the Caribbean side, they are usually served as a side dish with fish or any poultry, sprinkled with a little salt. In some countries, they are served topped with

cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...

as an

appetizer An hors d'oeuvre ( ; ), appetiser, appetizer or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the meal, or th ...

or with

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ceviche Ceviche, cebiche, sebiche, or seviche () is a cold dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings. Different versions of ceviche are part of the culinary cultures of various Latin American countries along the Pacific O ...

, pulled chicken, or avocado salad. They can also be bought prepared from supermarkets. This dish is found in all varieties of

Caribbean cuisine Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of West African cuisine, West African,"Cuisine."
(Caribbean.
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

, they are typically served with fried cheese and sometimes with refried beans. In Puerto Rico, they are commonly seasoned with garlic salt and eaten with

fry sauce Fry, fries, Fry's or frying may refer to: Food and cooking * Frying, the cooking of food in hot oil or fat ** French fries, deep-fried potato strips ** Frying pan, cookware for frying People * Fry (surname), a British family name (includin ...

, mojo, or pique verde boricua. Tostones are also a staple of Latin American countries and the Caribbean, including

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 ...

, Dominican Republic,

, the north coast of

, and in

, where they are often served with the traditional ''

griot A griot (; ; Manding languages, Manding: or (in N'Ko script, N'Ko: , or in French spelling); also spelt Djali; or / ; ) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. Griots are masters of communicatin ...

'' (fried pork) or pikliz, a spicy slaw. They can also be found in

West African cuisine West African cuisine encompasses a diverse range of foods that are split between its 16 countries. In West Africa, many families grow and raise their own food, and within each there is a division of labor. Indigenous foods consist of a number of ...

, where they are referred to as plantain crisps.

Variations

Tostones made from unripe

breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family ( Moraceae) believed to have been selectively bred in Polynesia from the breadnut ('' Artocarpus camansi''). Breadfruit was spread into ...

called tostones de pana are served in Puerto Rico. The same method applies. Unripe breadfruit is cut into chunks, deep-fried, flattened, and then fried again. They are popular throughout the island and are sold frozen pre-made by

Goya Foods Goya Foods, Inc., is a private company, private American multinational corporation, multinational producer and distributor of foods and beverages sold in the United States and many Spanish-speaking countries. The company operates facilities in the ...

, Mi Cosecha PR, and Titán products of Puerto Rico. Tostones rellenos is a traditional Puerto Rican dish of fried plantains or breadfruit shaped into cups and stuffed with various fillings.

Tools

A tostonera is a tool used to make tostones, which are flattened, fried plantains. Tostoneras can be made from wood, plastic, or metal and can vary in size. Tostoneras are an essential tool in Latin kitchens and are used to make tostones.

Other uses of the term

In Honduras, the term ''tostón'' may also refer to the 50-cent coin of the local currency, the lempira. This is also the case in Mexico with 50 cents of a peso.

References