Tostones (, from the Spanish verb ''tostar'' which means "to toast") are twice-fried plantain slices commonly found in Latin American cuisine and Caribbean cuisine. Most commonly known as ''tostones'' in

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Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

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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, ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

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

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

), ''patacones'' (in

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Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

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and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

) 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/crisps or French fries/chips. In some regions, it is customary to dip them in ''mojo'' (a garlic sauce) or ají. In

they are sometimes served with hogao 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

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

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 or with

shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

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

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

, 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, 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, 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